


Read my Mark, it says I'm yours

by dontcallmeking



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Major Character Injury, Masturbation in Shower, Mutual Pining, Psychological Trauma, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-03-06 15:01:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 94,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3138575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontcallmeking/pseuds/dontcallmeking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are people who are born, and then there are people who are born with Marks. </p><p>Not a lot of information is known about these sporadic and random patterns, only that they posses the uncanny ability to award the lucky people born with them some type of superpower. Hinata Shouyou is born into a seemingly peaceful world, innocently baring his Mark, aiming to become the best, just like his idol, the Small Giant. All that really matters is battling and beating that jackass Kageyama.</p><p>Life seems simple. At least until he, and the rest of Karasuno, become involved in a political upheaval, trying to destroy the balance of the world as we know it and upset the shaky peace that has recently been established between the Marked and the Unmarked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In The Fell Clutch of Circumstance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _In the fell clutch of circumstance_  
>  I have not winced nor cried aloud.  
> Under the bludgeonings of chance  
> My head is bloody, but unbowed.
> 
> ~~William Ernest Henley ( _Invictus_ )

From a young age, Hinata Shouyou realized that there are people who are normal, and there are people who are marked. He knew this better than most. Not only was he the only child in his family to have been born with one of those scrawling symbols etched into his skin, he was the only person in all of Yukigaoka Junior High who had one.

_Shouyou was eight when he came home crying from elementary school for the first time._

_“Momma,” he sobbed into her shirt. “I’m hurt.”_

_“Shouyou, what happened?” his mother held him close to her chest. She hadn’t seen any blood, or bruises._

_“My mark is broken,” he sobbed louder._

_“Oh, honey. It’s not broken, you’re just a… late-bloomer.” Shouyou pulled back and nodded, rubbing his eyes. “What brought all this on?”_

_“In class, we were learning about Marks and they said that kids my age are supposed to already be using them.”_

_“It’ll be okay. Just wait, I’m sure you’ll have a marvelous power one day.”_

He was the only one who had a crying need for mark class, where uneducated and dispassionate teachers tried to explain something that they couldn’t understand and couldn’t bring themselves to care about. He was the only one who loved the thrill and the thought of battling, being the last one standing on that vast court, leading his team to victory. He was the only one who had been inspired by the match that changed his life.

_Shouyou was riding through town on his bike one day, right before he entered middle school, when he saw something that gave him hope. On TV there was a match, a high-school battle on a national stage._

**_“Surely, he is a Small Giant. Going up against a team with multiple Marks up to level four, he breaks a path through them, leading his team, Karasuno to victory. This Small Giant is definitely one of the strongest advancers we’ve seen on the court in quite some time.”_ **

_Shouyou had shivered as he watched the footage, his eyes drawn to Number 10’s back. He knew, almost instantly, that he was going to be the next Small Giant. So what if his mark’s ability had yet to manifest? He was going to be stronger than the Small Giant. This was his destiny. The pounding of his heart, the hot adrenaline rushing through his body told him so. He stood outside of the store and watched the TV, his hand coming up and holding fast to his shoulder where his swirling mark was imprinted onto his skin._

_When it was done, Shouyou sped off, relishing in the feeling of wind on his face._

_He’d always loved riding his bike. When he was racing down those mountain trails surrounding his home, he was weightless._

And yeah, despite being the only marked person in his home town, it wasn’t like Shouyou didn’t have any friends. Kouji and Izumin had always been somewhat supportive. They enjoyed watching battling but they didn’t _get_ it. They weren’t _marked_. Even without being told, Shouyou knew that battling was one of the few places where he’d been able to fit in. Find people like him. Succeed. Being unmarked intrinsically meant more opportunities.

(Being unmarked is something that Kouji never failed to bring up every time Shouyou asked him to practice with him, help him train. “I’m not marked Shouyou, so it wouldn’t be fair” and the always famous lecture about “how am I even supposed to know the rules? Battling is too weird and complicated, Shouyou.”)

(Izumi on the other hand tried more, sometimes throwing things for Shouyou to try and catch to further his jumping ability, but still, he refused to team up with Shouyou for a battle tourney. “I’m afraid it would be too dangerous for me.” “Sorry, I’m too afraid to go and do something like that.” “I’m just a basketball player.”)

_“I-I’m not really sure about this, Shou-chan,” Izumi said weakly, holding the ball. He had been ambushed after school by an excited Shouyou, who told him eagerly that he found something Izumi could do to help him in his training._

_“It’ll be fine!” Shouyou patted Izumi on the shoulder with a grin. “Just throw it up in the air really hard. I want to see how fast I can jump to catch it!”_

_“Okay!” Izumi said, hurriedly tossing the ball high into the air. At least, that’s what he tried to do, but the ball ended up only going a short way behind him, falling quickly to the ground._

_In a split second, Shouyou was there, soaring over him, tumbling through the air, and coming down hard, the ball held closely to his chest. He hopped to his feet, the ball held over his head and a fiery grin on his face._

_“Again!”_

Granted, jumping isn’t the coolest power, and it’s something that people can do pretty naturally –but Shouyou found that he could jump _really, really_ high. Shouyou found that the more he jumped and the more he concentrated on jumping, he could _glide_. If he really worked at it, sometimes he could walk two or three steps in midair before coming down. He wondered if his jumping mark could possibly be something more.

(Kouji said that was a dumb thing to say and pushed him lightly on the shoulder as the two sat together on a hill, overlooking the soccer practice below. A kid fell down, but was immediately helped up by one of his teammates, and the scene made something heavy clutch at Shouyou’s heart.)

Shouyou learned in his second year of junior high in his mark class that there are tons of different kinds of marks, and marks are found all over the world. He learned that his mark _had_ to be somatic, because it was either a jumping or a gliding one, and somatic marks give the user a physical power. He also learned that somatic marks are supposed to be red.

His mark was orange and elegant, flowing and dotting in beautiful, swirling directions across the top of his left shoulder.

(Shouyou’s mom had been worried when she’d had a marked child. She had never really been interested in marks, or battling. She and her husband both. They were _normal_ , unmarked. What was she supposed to do with a child who would develop preternatural abilities?

She got the answer when he was born, crying and small in her arms.

She would love him.)

_As a toddler, Shouyou never seemed to sit still. Like, ever. He was on his feet faster than any child his mom had ever seen, and he was running soon after, laughing and smiling. Even when he fell, he didn’t seem to mind, and just stood back up again, giggling it off._

_Maybe this has something to do with his mark, his mom thought one day as she watched her son run around in the scraggly grass that made up the majority of their smaller yard. But, then again, maybe it didn’t. His mark didn’t grow, or glow, like the specialized mark doctor told them they should during activation._

_The two year old ran over to his mom and easily pulled himself up into her lap (he’s so strong, she thinks), grinning like the sun, and she couldn’t bring herself to care. Shouyou was perfect, no matter what his Mark did._

_Shouyou sighed, curling up in his mother’s lap, and a soft breeze blew by them, carrying a slightly metallic scent._

The world of marks fascinated Shouyou to no end, as it should, he guessed, since he was marked. He wanted to know more and more about them, all kinds of marks –the kinds of marks he’d have to go up against when he actually started battling. He did learn, a little bit, in the mark classes he had to take, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to know more, more, more. He wanted to _fight_.

(His second favorite type of mark, after Somatic, was Energy, because it sounded cool. Just think about it –being able to create things of your own design just by pushing your own energy and power outside of your body in a physical manifestation –he wished he could do something like that, even though he was just somatic.)

( _But wait_ , he thought to himself, scratching his head, _maybe that was psionic? I can’t really remember_.)

* * *

Somewhere in the world, Kageyama Tobio woke up in a deep sweat, feeling like he had been burned through by the sun.

* * *

In his third year of junior high, he’d managed to recruit three first years (all Unmarked, but that’s okay, he’d take what he can get) to join his battle unit. They were nervous, of course, since they were unmarked and the violence of battling was common knowledge throughout the world.

(Really, having unmarked people battle too was kind of a stupid idea, but the UOME (United Order of Marked Equality) had decided that making battling only a marked activity would create too much segregation in society, so it should be opened to unmarked people as well. Even though it was opened, unmarked people tended to be smart enough to realize they probably wouldn’t be able to keep up when they were being attacked by snakes, or shot through with lightning.)

Shouyou tried his best to train his new teammates, but he really didn’t know the first thing about battling. All he knew was that to win, you had to knock everyone (or more than half, at least) off of the raised court and onto the mats below. He wasn’t really sure _how_ you’d do that, but he figured they could get to that when the time came.

Though he’s not really sure how he did it, he was able to coerce Izumi and Kouji into joining as well. Maybe they had gotten tired of his complaining, maybe they had some deep-rooted interest in battling, or maybe they just wanted to make Shouyou happy. But that didn’t really matter, because they joined him at the last moment, right before the tournament at the town gymnasium.

They were young and inexperienced, but Shouyou was excited-

_“It’s so crowded!”_

_“Did you see that attack?! I didn’t know you could bend light like that!”_

_“Wow! That guy disappeared! And now he’s over there!”_

_A deep breath. “I love the smell of magic!”_

_Izumi held his stomach, feeling queasy as he watched a kid get his head bashed open before he rolled off, a healer rushing to where he had fallen. “It smells more like a steel factory to me.”_

\--and determined-

_“Don’t worry guys, I know we’re going to win! No matter who we face, I’ll just fly over their heads!”_

\--and a little nervous.

_He was overwhelmed on his trip to the bathroom. He can only really remember being angry and feeling a dark, intimidating aura. He can only really remember having one thought:_

_“He’s scary, but I’m going to defeat him!”_

_He probably said some things he shouldn’t have –Shouyou had always had a problem of talking and talking, when he knew he probably shouldn’t. But whatever had transpired there, it’d gotten rid of his nerves and refilled his fighting spirit._

He learned pretty quickly that fighting spirit wasn’t always enough, and that no matter how much he tried or cared, he would always be defeated. He was weak, too weak, and that selfish King was too strong.

(He’d learn later that his rival was named Kageyama Tobio, a psionic prodigy, the King of the Court, and that he really didn’t stand a chance at all.)

(But that didn’t stop him from running down the stairs of the gym, as Kageyama walked out, yelling things about winning and beating him no matter what, and Kageyama ended up giving Shouyou an odd sense of determination, that he was going to become the best in Japan, just like the Small Giant. Shouyou was going to win. Shouyou was going to be the last one standing, supported by his team at Karasuno – _I’m going to be the ace advancer, just you wait, you bastard Kageyama!)_

Hinata Shouyou had always been the type to push himself past his limits, to take what he wanted, to make himself better, stronger; and that’s exactly what he did, passing the entrance exam to get into Karasuno. His friends had been surprised –but that’s a 45 minute bike ride over the mountain! Do you really want to do that every morning? –but his parents had been happy –they have a reputable program for marks, even if they haven’t been doing as well the past few years –and that was good enough for him.

_This is it_ , he thought as he sprinted towards the gym, leaping and bounding with a speed he didn’t realize he possessed (it was illegal to activate his mark outside of practice at the high school level). _This is where it all starts –my journey to become the best!_ He threw open the doors thinking, _Wait up, bastard, I’m going to defeat you first!_

His thoughts stopped short, and he barely managed to jump over the bolt of electricity that had shot at him from the trainer.

“ _What the hell are you doing here_?” he screeched, pointing. Kageyama Tobio, his ultimate rival, the person who yelled those words at him – ( _What have you been doing for the past three years? What did you come here to “make memories?”_ ) flipped around to look at him, before getting zapped.

Kageyama Tobio had just gotten zapped by the electric trainer.

Kageyama Tobio had just gotten zapped by the electric trainer in the Karasuno gym.

At the time practice was supposed to start.

_Kageyama Tobio went to Karasuno_.

Shouyou screamed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Because I wrote this when I was 16, I'm going back through it and editing the chapters/cleaning them up! **Edited: February 2018** )


	2. Their Destiny Casts Its Nightly Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this story should be called That's So Tobio, and meet the team and learn their powers. Suga's a momma, Daichi's a dad. What's new? exposition, exposition, exposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the soon-to-be lovers  
> smile on each other, not yet knowing farewell,  
> and round about them, like a constellation,  
>  _their destiny casts_  
>  _its nightly spell._  
>  Still to come, it does not reach out to them,  
> it remains  
> a phantom  
> floating in its heavenly course.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Rainer Maria Rilke ( _Behind The Blameless Trees_ )

In his dream, Kageyama Tobio stood in front of a tree. It didn’t seem like a very special tree, it wasn’t even that big, but it was strong. He knew that much the closer he walked towards it. He reached out and touched the rough bark, a flood of sensations flowing through him –yes, it was strong. But its strength was like a viper, concealed until the last moment when it attacked. He looked up into the branches, surprised to find that woven into the thick covering of green, green leaves, were a coating of diamonds, growing and hanging heavy like fruit. His hand went up, almost at its own accord and grabbed onto one of the lower hanging diamonds, but no matter how hard he yanked, it wouldn’t come free of the branch it was on.

There was a loud cracking noise, and all a sudden the ground spilt apart at the seams as angry roots curled through the air, winding around his neck and strangling the life out of him like an avenging spirit. Kageyama choked, grasping at the roots, trying to remove them so he wouldn’t die, but they were covered in thorns and ripped his hands to shreds.

And then there was laughing, coming from all around him, boxing him in even further as black spots danced in his eyes.

It grew into a dull roar, and he heard rushing in his ears as he tried to cry out for oxygen. He wanted to fight, but wasn’t it pointless? There was no way he could win now. He thought of the diamonds, hanging there ripe on the tree, tempting him like lost opportunity, and then he was floating.

 _Am I dead?_ Kageyama thought, gazing around at the nothingness that surrounded him. _What the hell kind of vision is this?_

Slowly, he became aware of himself in space, and realized that he wasn’t just floating –he was _flying_ and there were arms supporting him, carrying him. The nothingness faded away and he was surrounded by a bright light – _orange, orange, orange, why the fuck is there so much orange? –_ and heat radiated into his face accompanied by hot blasts of air, gaseous and scalding, from the surface of… the sun? Kageyama wasn’t really sure what his surroundings were supposed to be, but in his lucid state of mind, he felt some strange sense of similarity to this part of the vision. Granted, the arms around him, the blazing fire below, the hot air –it was now strangely comforting. He wasn’t sure why though, he thought that being burned alive was supposed to feel more… painful. Then again, Kageyama had never been burned alive before.

And then, they were dropping into the fire and – _yes,_ he thought, _I remember this. This is from that time, I know this, I know this_ –Kageyama’s eyes opened, crusty from sleep and he sat up in bed. His room was dark, and his alarm had yet to ring, but he knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep if he tried.

He rubbed his eyes with a yawn and then a louder groan. His Mark was hot on the base of his neck, just underneath his hairline. He hated it when he had visions like that. Because his Mark was activated while he was asleep, it actually deprived him of rest, as if he had stayed up all night. That was the thing about his Mark, even when he thought he’d be able to have complete control, it just wouldn’t happen. Being awake and aware when he activated his Mark for battle or training was so _totally_ different than trying to suppress it when the rest of his mind was asleep like it was _supposed_ to be.

His hands fell into his lap with a hard _thud_.

This was going to a long day.

 

* * *

 

_“Those poor kids,” Sugawara Koushi said with a worried look on his face. “I haven’t seen Unmarkeds battling before.”_

_“It was pretty pathetic,” Sawamura Daichi agreed. “Although, I do have to give them props for trying as hard as they did.”_

_Tanaka Ryuunosuke grinned. “Damn. We came to see that “King,” but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the little one –the only Marked kid in his Battle Unit? –He literally flew over the rest other kids. I was surprised that they were even able to get him off the Court in the first place. He had no sense of strategy, but he was pretty damn fast.”_

_Daichi nodded. “If he goes to a place with the right Controller, one that can utilize his abilities, he’ll probably turn into a worthy opponent.”_

 

* * *

 

“What the _hell_ are you doing here?!” Shouyou screeched, pointing at his enemy, his _mortal rival_ as that _jackass_ rushed to turn off the electric trainer before he or Shouyou got shocked. “Kageyama Tobio!”

Kageyama turned around, a little singed, and stared at him. Shouyou blanched. Yeah, there was no mistaking it. This is _definitely_ that guy. Kageyama glared at him. “You’re… from last year? I don’t remember your name.” _So this explains the dream. At least the last part._

Shouyou frowned, slightly embarrassed. “My name is Hinata Shouyou, and you better remember it!” Okay, yeah, Shouyou couldn’t really _blame_ him for not remembering his name, he hadn’t done _spectacularly_ during that battle (actually, he’d done well, he’d fought the entire thing himself and even took a few guys off of the Court, but he’d still lost. Miserably).

Shouyou had always been pretty open. “Although, you probably don’t really remember the guy that lost to you in the first round, huh?”

“No,” Kageyama said almost immediately, still looking sour. Shouyou began to wonder if his face was broken. “I definitely remember you. You were a clumsy shit bastard with no strategy and a worthless Mark.”

“What did you just say to me?!”

Before an altercation could truly begin, the door to the gym opened.

“Oi!” shouted the bald one. “No underclassmen in the gym without an upperclassman supervisor!”

“Tanaka,” another said soothingly before stepping forward. “My name is Sugawara Koushi, and I’m the Vice Captain, although people typically call me Suga. I’m not sure if you were aware, but the official meeting is being held in a different location. Please follow us.”

Kageyama and Shouyou looked at each other, feeling a strange sense of calm and peace surround them, almost suffocating. They looked back at Suga, taking in his brilliant smile and immediately realized that they should _definitely_ trust this guy, no matter what. He was such a comforting presence. Shouyou sighed, feeling that odd sense of relief he hadn’t felt in a while. It was almost reminiscent of when he’d get lost at the store, when all of a sudden he’d see his mother and feel all the anxiety and fear melt away at the sight of her comforting and familiar figure. He immediately hopped along to Suga’s side, ignoring the wary glance Kageyama was sending, before he followed along as well.

Suga continued what he had been saying earlier. “I’m not sure how familiar you are with the Marked Grounds, but there are a few places the two of you aren’t allowed to go on your own. Like Tanaka was telling you earlier, training rooms and the gym aren’t open for underclassman without a supervisor approved by either myself or Daichi, you’ll meet him soon enough. The equipment and trainers can be very dangerous if used incorrectly. Though you may have used some of them before, we want to ensure maximum safety for our Battlers.”

“We had the same trainers at Kitagawa Daiichi,” Kageyama said. Shouyou gulped. He had seen trainers on the internet and on class PowerPoints, but he’d never been near one in real life.

Trainers are specially designed machines used to make Battlers acclimated to battle conditions. There were many different types of trainers that synthetically produced simulations that were close to those experienced when one actually went on the Court. Kageyama had been practicing with the electric trainer, for example. The electric trainer, much like trainers for different elements, worked by shooting out random and sporadic blasts of electricity so the Battler can work on both dodging and defending.

There were all kinds of trainers, even ones for Psionic attacks, though those typically didn’t work as well.

“As I said before, that doesn’t matter,” Suga said in a tone that allowed no argument. “If you would like to use the trainers after the mandatory meeting, you may ask either Daichi or myself. However, today we plan on doing team drills so that you new members will get used to our pace.”

Tanaka opened the doors they had approached, leading them into a cozy room. Inside, there were lush black couches that fit in nicely with the light orange walls. The couches were centered around a large TV screen, which was turned off for now. Shouyou ducked into the room, looking around excitedly. He wasn’t exactly sure _why_ there was a living room, or what the doors branching off went to (in hindsight, he should have _probably_ read the special handbook he had received when he’d signed up for the Karasuno Battle Unit, but reading too work and a basic knowledge of kanji that Shouyou just didn’t really have), but he liked it.

As they walked in, the few people already occupying the room looked up, two of them had been talking (both dark haired and dark eyed, Shouyou noted, and then with a strange sense of wonder, realized that he didn’t _remember_ what Suga looked like, all he could remember about him were the intense feelings of comfort and warmth he’d felt), while the other four were sitting around on the couches.

The taller of the two walked over, with a wave and an easy grin. Suga beamed at him and Shouyou was finally able to get a good look at his face –delicate and soft, with curling grey hair and warm brown eyes. Shouyou gasped.

“Wow! I’ve never seen someone have a Mark on their forehead before!”

Kageyama slapped him on the back of the head. “Dumbass! Don’t you know anything about Mark placement? Psionics always have their Mark somewhere on their neck or head. Sometimes the head means the face.”

“Well, excuse me for not caring about Psionic Marks, jackass.”

Kageyama made an affronted noise, but didn’t say anything. The look the brown haired guy and Suga were sending him and that Hinata kid made him feel like a scolded child. He couldn’t believe that he had already been branded _troublemaker_ by two upperclassmen. He looked down at his fellow first year. At least Hinata looked outwardly abashed.

The dark haired guy stepped forward with an outstretched hand that both Kageyama and Shouyou shook. “I’m Sawamura Daichi. I’m the Captain of the Karasuno Battle Unit. We don’t tolerate infighting. If you fight, you will be kicked out of the program. We don’t want dissention in our ranks. To be a good battle unit, you _have_ to trust each other.”

Kageyama frowned. _Trust_. Of _course_ he knew that _trust_ was important.

Daichi clapped the two and brought them to join the rest of the team who were sitting together on the couches. Daichi still stood, looking severely at the group gathered.

“Welcome to another year of battling,” he began before acknowledging Shouyou and Kageyama and two other guys sitting on the couch across from them, “Or welcome to your first year of _real_ battling. Like every year, the first order of business is to introduce yourselves, and then we’ll be doing room assignments. As always, upperclassmen are allowed to choose their roommates, while underclassmen must suffer through a year of being forced to live with people they don’t know.”

 _Wait_ , Shouyou thought with some amount of panic. _What do they mean “room assignments?”_

“Now, for introductions. We will start with the upperclassmen and work our way down by year. I will go first. Hello, my name is Sawamura Daichi and I’m the Captain of this Battle Unit. I have a Dimensional Mark of Teleportation.”

There was some mumbling between the two across from them. Kageyama glowered, but that wasn’t anything new. Shouyou gasped to himself. Dimensional Marks were _way cool_ (although he didn’t really understand them that well). From what he’d learned in class, Dimensional Marks were the most mysterious Marks at all because science doesn’t understand enough about the reality to time and space to understand the Marks that manipulate it.

Suga smiled brightly. “It’s nice to meet you all, I’m Sugawara Koushi. I have a Psionic Mark of Empathy.”

“Figures,” Kageyama muttered under his breath, eyeing the Mark on Suga’s forehead, placed right above his nose. If Shouyou squinted, it kind of looked like an eye. A sideways eye. An eye on its side. A seyede. He chuckled to himself.

“Suga is a nice guy.”

“I never said he wasn’t,” Kageyama grumbled.

The other dark haired guy stood up. “I’m Ennoshita Chikara. I have a Psionic Mark of Telekinesis.”

 _Telekinesis… Isn’t that where you can read people’s minds?_ Suga giggled from where he had sat back down next to Shouyou before he touched Shouyou’s hand with his own. Instantly, there was a warm, soothing presence in Shouyou’s head before he heard Suga go:

_No, this is called “telepathy.”_

Shouyou whipped his head to stare at the laughing third year.

_I thought you had sympathy??_

_Empathy –it’s a power that allows me to read and manipulate emotions. In case you wanted to know, everyone with a Psionic Mark has the ability to use telepathy to some degree._

_Does that mean Kageyama and Ennoshita-san can read my mind, too? Like right now?_

Suga’s mental voice laughed. _No, it takes a lot of practice to enter the mind of a person you’re unfamiliar with. Because of the tendencies of my Mark, I have a higher aptitude for telepathy._

Tanaka stood up quickly with a grin as Shouyou came back to reality. He had missed the other two second years, too busy talking to Suga in his _head_.

 _Okay,_ Shouyou thought, _maybe Psionic Marks aren’t_ completely _boring_.

“The name’s Tanaka Ryuunosuke! I’m Somatic with the power of Selective Bodily Enhancement.”

There was an awkward pause before Suga nudged Shouyou lightly, encouragingly. He jumped up.

“Right, my name is Hinata Shouyou and I’m going to be the next Small Giant and I’m going to surpass Kageyama!” Shouyou sat back down. Suga nudged him again.

“I’d like to see you try,” Kageyama snorted.

“What about your Mark, Hinata?”

Shouyou blushed, a little embarrassed. After hearing all of those other people, he didn’t think his Mark was all that special. It was kind of a letdown, actually. “I have a Flying Mark.”

Kageyama gave him a look. “I thought you just jumped really high.”

“No,” Shouyou said. “It’s definitely a Flying Mark. I can, um, glide. After I jump really high.”

There was a scoff from across the room. Daichi glowered, his face morphing from a nice, but serious dictator to that of an enraged tyrant in a matter of seconds.

“What did I say about fighting?”

If Shouyou had thought that Kageyama’s angry face was scary, he was sincerely wrong. Even if Kageyama was intimidating, it was even more terrifying to witness someone Shouyou had already categorized as “friendly” change into something Shouyou would categorize as “bloodthirsty.” Now, he might understand what his mother always used to say: Never judge a book by its cover.

Daichi was met with no sass from either Kageyama or the tall guy across the room. The captain turned to the tall guy.

“Since you obviously have a problem, why don’t you go next?”

He stood up and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking disdainfully at the gathered team. “I’m Tsukishima Kei. I don’t feel like saying what my Mark is. That selfish King over there will probably find a way to manipulate me.”

Kageyama’s expression turned even sourer, a feat Shouyou thought to be impossible. “What did you just call me?”

“You heard me,” Tsukishima said flippantly.

“Tsukishima,” Suga said, already trying to calm the situation. Shouyou gasped, looking as the dot inside of his ovular mark expanded slightly. So Marks really _did_ change when they were used. He felt inadequate again. His Mark never did _anything._ “We’re all a family now, so that attitude is really unacceptable. Now please, tell us what you can do.”

Tsukishima hesitated, but his friend sitting beside him jumped in. “Tsukki has a-.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima sighed. “I have a Somatic Mark. I can replicate. Is that good enough?”

Daichi nodded. “Now you, uh, Yamaguchi?”

Yamaguchi nodded, but like Tsukishima, he didn’t stand up to introduce himself. “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi. I have a Psionic Mark which gives me the ability of Illusion Manipulation.”

He turned his head, as if looking at Tsukishima for approval and Shouyou saw the scrawling, curving Mark that crept up the side of his neck, curling under his jaw in the typical dark black color. He thought it was almost a little pretty. His hand went up to rub against his own, bright orange Mark underneath his shirt.

Kageyama was last. “Kageyama Tobio. I am Psionic with Precognition.”

“Great,” Daichi said, clapping his hands. “Now that we’re all introduced, it’s time to talk about room assignments.”

“Room assignments?” Shouyou asked at the same time Kageyama said.

“Isn’t that the Keeper’s job?”

“Our Keeper is out right now, trying to find us a new coach,” Suga informed Kageyama, leaning around Shouyou. “He said he’d be back a little later and left his assignments for Daichi to present.”

To Shouyou, Daichi responded. “Yes? It talked about this in the handout you received. All Battlers are required to live on campus during the week to ensure Mark usage safety and to promote comradery.”

Tsukishima snorted derisively, but didn’t comment to the group, only muttering something in Yamaguchi’s ear. Suga cast them a worried look. Shouyou wasn’t sure why.

“But I didn’t pack any extra clothes!”

“How long will it take you pick some up?” Suga asked.

“About 30 minutes on my bike? I live over the mountain.”

Suga and Daichi met each other’s eyes before Suga nodded. “Alright, we’ll send you to get them with Tanaka accompanying you. Your roommate will get everything ready for you.”

“Who will that be?” Shouyou asked. Though he was a little anxious, he was also very excited. The only people he’d ever had sleepovers with were Izumi and Kouji, who he’d known since he was practically a baby, so that didn’t really count. God, he hoped he wasn’t stuck in a room with Kageyama or Tsukishima.

Suga winked at him. “I guess you’ll have to see when you get back.”


	3. I Cannot See What Flowers Are At My Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka is a good senpai. is that a plot???? the daisuga is strong in this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,_  
>  Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs,  
> But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet  
> Wherewith the seasonable month endows  
> The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild;  
> White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine;  
> Fast-fading violets covered up in leaves;  
> And mid-May's eldest child,  
> The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine,  
> The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> ~~John Keats ( _Ode To A Nightingale_ )

Shouyou had been a little (read: a lot) nervous about having to travel home with Tanaka-san. _Actually,_ Shouyou realized, _all of my senpai are scary. Way are they all so scary?!_ But his fears had been doused as soon as they started off together. Tanaka wasn’t, as he had been led to believe, a thug. Tanaka was actually pretty nice and jovial, even with the way his face had contorted into something reminiscent of an old mafia movie when a kid had run into him on their way into the mountains. Tanaka was kind and easy to talk to, not that Shouyou really had problems talking to people, and he made Shouyou feel at ease. Shouyou had never really been one to get scared of events (scary movies yes, scary people yes, but never actual events, like getting kidnapped), but traveling through the mountains at night would probably make anyone a little wary.

Shouyou wasn’t sure if it was wise, but he had already placed enough faith in Tanaka to know that if something jumped at them, or someone tried to kill them (murders didn’t often happen in Miyagi, but the homicide rate for people with Marks had been steadily increasing over the last few years), Tanaka would definitely react and save him. Probably by viciously beating the guy that did it up. He hadn’t seen Tanaka fight, but with a cool sounding ability like “Selective Bodily Enhancement” (Shouyou wasn’t really sure what that _meant_ , however it sounded pretty tough), Tanaka would have no problem defending them against whatever criminal they came across.

“And don’t worry, those fuckers didn’t know who they were dealing with!” Tanaka said with a dramatic flourish, clenching a fist. He had been telling Shouyou about one really tough battle he’d been in the previous year.

“Wow! Did you beat them up?”

“Is that even a question?” he let out a mighty laugh. Shouyou chuckled too. _Yeah, it was a good idea to trust Tanaka-san._

Tanaka had talked to him the whole way up the mountain about different stories and shenanigans he’d gotten into with a mysterious figure called “Noya,” who, for some reason, wasn’t allowed to come to school for a month. Shouyou had wanted to ask, but he had enough tact and social skills to realize that it was probably a sore subject. Tanaka also talked a lot about girls. It was actually pretty amazing. Shouyou was kind of impressed at Tanaka’s ability to connect girls to everything they talked about in some way. Shouyou had never really been girl crazy, but he figured he’d have an interest in them sooner or later.

Shouyou wasn’t always the one listening, he told stories of his own. He talked about how he, Izumin, and Kouji had pranked this one evil old man down the road from them because he had confiscated Kouji’s bike. Shouyou had been a nervous wreck and had given them away after he puked on the man’s porch. Shouyou also talked about the Small Giant and how he just _had_ to become the next one. He had to prove that his small stature didn’t make his Somatic Mark weak, or as Kageyama had said _useless_. That lead him into a rant about how he had to _destroy_ Kageyama, that _jackass,_ because didn’t respect him at all. He had expected Tanaka to laugh at that, because _really_? Some short, _weak_ , nervous kid like Shouyou taking on the _King of the Court_?

Tanaka didn’t, Tanaka nodded seriously. Shouyou didn’t know that he could be serious, but he was happy that Tanaka was being serious about Shouyou’s dream. He’d had too many people tell him that he would never get anywhere, that he was too _delicate_ for battling. It was nice to have some believe in him for once.

“If that’s your goal, fight. It’s hard for people like us, with Somatic Marks, to compete with Psionics since they can get into your head and destroy you from there, and we really don’t have any immunity to that. But if your goal is to defeat Kageyama, then find a way and _do it_.”

“T-Tanaka-san,” Shouyou said, feeling a little teary.

Tanaka smiled and clapped him hard on the back. “I’ll be rooting for you, Hinata!”

With that, they had arrived at Shouyou’s house.

“I had been wondering why you’d only taken your schoolbag this morning, Shou-chan,” his mother had laughed.

“M _om_ ,” Shouyou was embarrassed by the use of his childish nickname. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me that I was going to be living on campus?”

“I told you to read your handbook, didn’t I? It was in there.”

Shouyou flushed. “I’m going to go pack my stuff.”

When he had come back downstairs, Tanaka and his mom had been laughing easily over something (Shouyou wasn’t sure he wanted to know what, it was probably a story about him, anyway), and they had an easy goodbye. His mom commanded him to come back and visit on the weekends _sometimes_ , reminded him that studying was just as important as battle training, and wished him to make friends. Natsu, his younger sister, cried, but she also ended up making friends with Tanaka which was… unsurprising. She was kind of the cutest person on the planet, who wouldn’t want to make friends with her? And so the two of them left, hurrying back because as Tanaka put it, “We have to get back so we can eat Kiyoko’s cooking when it’s fresh!”

 

* * *

 

“No. Definitely not. Not happening,” Kageyama shook his head.

“Kageyama-kun,” Suga put a hand on his shoulder, “it’s only _reasonable_.”

Kageyama frowned deeply at the ground. “Just make him join the other two’s room and leave me alone.”

Daichi crossed his arms. “Kageyama, if you want to be a Controller, you have to make nice with your teammates.”

“I know!” Kageyama exclaimed. “But why do I have to share a room with _him_.” He pointed an accusing finger at Tsukishima.

“Oh, is the King too good for us lowly peons?”

“Shut your fucking mouth.”

“Kageyama, language!” Daichi chastised.

 

* * *

 

Takeda Ittetsu opened the door to Sakanoshita, jingling the bell.

“Oi! We’re clo- oh. Takeda,” the lazy clerk, Ukai Keishin greeted him with a suspicious look, putting down in magazine. “What do you want?”

“I think you know exactly what I want,” Takeda moved swiftly to the counter, setting his hands on the top, looking down at Ukai. Ukai’s eyes narrowed up at the Keeper.

“If it’s about becoming a coach, or whatever, I’m not interested.”

“Why not? You’re Marked, you’re an adult.”

“You just want me for the Ukai name. I’m not cut out to teach children, let alone make the decision to throw them to their deaths on the battlefield.”

Takeda sighed, slouching slightly. “Ukai-kun, there’s no way that I can teach them how to use their Marks effectively when I’m just Unmarked. I have no idea about how Marks work, and I’m even a bit sketchy on the theory of them. These are good kids who need a good teacher.”

Ukai sighed. “They’re _brats_ , that’s what they are –coming to my store every weekend and eating all of my meat buns. Look Takeda, you know how I feel about battling.”

“But battling’s _changed_ since you were in high school, Ukai-kun! It’s a lot safer now, with all of the healers!”

“That doesn’t matter, the _point_ of it is still the same –using us as entertainment for all of you Unmarked. It’s just a way of keeping us subjugated and out of trouble. You think all those kids genuinely _want_ to practice killing each other?”

Takeda looked at him coolly. “A lot of Marked people who think that way end up in jail, Ukai-kun. But that doesn’t really matter right now. Those kids _need_ someone to help them properly so they don’t end up hurting themselves before they can even make it _on_ the Court.”

Ukai shook his head solemnly. “Sorry, Takeda. I can’t help you.”

Takeda nodded, as if in understanding, but Ukai knew that was bullshit. That teacher would come into his store and harass him about joining up with those kids and becoming their coach about once every week. Takeda looked at him sadly before turning to leave the shop. As he reached for the door, Ukai called out to him.

“Oh, and Takeda!” Takeda turned around to look at the clerk. Ukai had a serious expression on his face. “You’d be surprised at the amount of people who have that particular mindset.”

A million thoughts raced through Takeda’s mind before he bobbed his head. “Oh, I know. Goodnight, Ukai-kun.”

“Fuck,” Ukai said, rubbing a hand down his face before he lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He watched the smoke rise up to the ceiling. “This could be bad.”

 

* * *

 

“Kiyoko, I’m _home_ ~” Tanaka sang as he pranced into the room, taking in a deep whiff through his nose with a cherishing sigh. Shouyou danced in after him, eyes alight and a heavy bag hanging from his shoulder.

“What’s his problem?” Kageyama came to stand next to Shouyou. Shouyou looked up at the psionic.

“I think he likes Kiyoko-san, whoever that is.”

Kageyama nodded with puzzled look on his face. Suga laughed at his expression.

“Kageyama-kun, not everyone is completely focused on battling, you know?”

Shouyou giggled at that. Kageyama’s face flushed. “Idiot! I’m sure you’re just the same!”

“S-Shut up!”

A hand clamped down on Shouyou’s shoulder, making him jump in surprise. Daichi laughed. “Good to see that the two of you are getting along.”

Kageyama groaned, as if he knew what was about to happen. He probably did.

“Since Kageyama threw a hissy fit, the two of you will be rooming together now.”

“What?” Shouyou squeaked. _Him_? Share a room with _Kageyama_? Was Daichi-san _crazy_? Kageyama was his _mortal enemy rival_. Yeah, not just a rival, not just an enemy. An _enemy rival_.

“Originally, we were going to put you and Yamaguchi together and him and Tsukishima,” Suga said, coming over to where they were standing, Tanaka lying face down on the floor behind him. Shouyou figured he didn’t want to know.

“I’d rather room with Freckles than Bakageyama!” Shouyou cried. He grabbed Yamaguchi’s hand as he walked by. “Why can’t I room with Yamachi?”

“It’s Yamaguchi…”

“Yamaguchi!”

Yamaguchi removed himself from Shouyou’s grasp, rushing to where Tsukishima was waiting by a door that probably led to the kitchen.

“Yamaguchi don’t abandon me!”

Yamaguchi looked back to where Shouyou was looking at him desperately. “Sorry, I’m rooming with Tsukki.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes before dragging Yamaguchi with him into the next room.

“Right,” Suga went on, unbothered. “So, Hinata-kun, you’ll be rooming with Kageyama-kun for the rest of this year.”

Shouyou glared at Kageyama who bristled. “It’s not like I want to room with you either, it was just the least painful option, dumbass!”

“ _You_ could have roomed with _Yamaguchi_ ,” Shouyou responded accusingly.

“And you’d want to room with Tsukishima?!” Kageyama exclaimed.

Shouyou sniffed because _no_ , he _really didn’t_ , but Kageyama couldn’t know that. “I’m sure he’d be nicer than you.”

Kageyama looked at him like he had grown two heads. Shouyou didn’t know what he had missed in the two hours he had been away with Tanaka-senpai, but _obviously_ something had made Kageyama hate that glasses guy. Then again, Kageyama probably hated everyone. That’s what it looked like anyway.

“Suga-san, why can’t I room with you?” Shouyou cried, changing tactics again. Suga looked at him pityingly.

“Sorry, first years with first years. Those are just the rules,” Daichi cut in, putting a hand on Suga’s shoulder. He gave them a terrifying smile. “And like I said before, we really don’t need guys who refuse to get along. Either learn to live together, or leave.”

The kitchen door opened and one of the second years stuck his head out. Shouyou tried to remember his name, something like… Enno…? He wasn’t sure.

“Daichi, Suga, are you guys coming to eat? Shimizu and I have everything cooked.”

“We’ll be in there soon, Ennoshita,” Suga said with a smile. Ennoshita nodded, ducking back into the kitchen.

_Ah_ , Shouyou thought, _so close._

“Hey,” Daichi commandeered their attention again. “Do you understand what I’m telling you? There’s always room for some friendly rivalry, but in the end, the two of you are on a team now. That means you have to develop some sort of trust with one another, got it?”

“Osu!” they responded.

“Good!” Daichi clapped. “Now, let’s go eat.”

 

* * *

 

Suga walked back into the dark living room with a groan, a hand placed on his sore back. He plopped down heavily on the couch, leaning his head against Daichi’s shoulder. Daichi laughed, running a hand through his best friend’s hair.

“Everyone put to bed, Suga _mama_?”

“Of course, _Dad_ chi,” Suga quipped back, sitting up with a thumping heart. He looked at the TV, it was a Korean soap the two had been watching for a while now. “I think the team’s going to be good this year.”

“Yeah, if they can get along,” Daichi sighed, uninterested in what Tae Sung was doing at the moment. “I’m worried about the first years. Yamaguchi will probably end up having to play mediator –if he stops following Tsukishima around everywhere.”

“I think they just need to get to know each other better. We became friends when we roomed together, remember?” Suga said fondly.

“Well, we’ll see what they’re made of tomorrow, I guess.”

They were silent for a time, relishing in the quiet time they were able to spend together. Really, Noya had been right. The two of them _were_ like a mother and father. Suga laughed a little bit at that. He wouldn’t mind having a family with Daichi, if it ever came to that. It’s not like they wouldn’t have practice after this year was over. A loud beeping came from the TV, followed by the _swoosh_ of the United Organization of Marked Equality (UOME)’s logo.

Daichi and Suga looked at each other. This was probably about a battle that had been sabotaged earlier that week. From what they’d heard, only about twenty Unmarked people had been injured, but no one had been killed.

The logo faded and the head of the UOME’s Miyagi branch, Satou-san, came on screen.

“We interrupt your normal programming to broadcast breaking news,” he began. “We have just received word that the Junior High Battle Competition which was sabotaged earlier in the week, as actually attacked by the Peacemongers. As all of you know, being a member of this organization is _extremely illegal_ , and if you are found with any information regarding the Peacemongers, and you don’t come forward, you will be charged as if you yourself are a member. It is our job as the United Organization of Marked Equality to ensure the safety of Marked people and to put an end to this terrorist organization. Thank you.”

The logo _swooshed_ back onto the screen again.

“The Peacemongers, huh? It’s been a few years since I’ve heard anything about that group, especially in Miyagi,” Daichi commented. Suga sighed.

“I had a feeling it was them.”

The program tuned back in to Joo Young crying over something. Suga stared at the screen, pensive.

“I don’t know what’s making them active now, but whatever it is,” he paused. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to find out about it soon enough.”


	4. Then There's The Two Of Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone should wake up to a bit of daisuga in the morning, daichi's so in love it's not even funny, training begins, and some friends make an appearance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Then there's the two_  
>  _of us._ This word  
>  is far too short for us, it has only  
> four letters, too sparse
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Margaret Atwood ( _Variations On The Word Love_ )

Daichi woke up with his body intertwined with Suga’s. Suga rested between Daichi’s legs, chest to chest on the couch, with his face nestled into Daichi’s neck, breath hot. Daichi’s arms were wrapped around Suga’s upper body, as if to keep him from falling off. Something stirred inside of Daichi, deep in his stomach and also in his heart. Suga stirred a little as Daichi readjusted his grip around Suga’s body, giving Daichi a better look at his beautiful face.

He had always put Suga in his “too beautiful for this Earth” group in his mind, because it was true. Suga was beautiful, in a delicate, masculine way. He was slim and strong, with slightly angled features and hard planes that Daichi had always found nice, and those large, expressive, affectionate brown eyes. But knowing Suga was beautiful, attractive, heavenly, was different from having that beauty thrown into his face. It reminded him of those times, back in their first year, when he’d accidentally teleport into Suga’s bed while he slept. Daichi laughed internally. _God, that had been embarrassing_.

Suga had actually been the cause of Daichi’s big gay panic, before he realized that bisexuality was a thing. Of course, it’s not like he’s _said_ anything to Suga about his sexuality. He doesn’t want Suga to know. What if Suga thinks he’s gross? Or realizes that Daichi has a big crush on him? Daichi would never be able to hold Suga like this again, or watch shitty movies and soap operas with him late at night, or make jokes about being Sugamama and Dadchi ever again. He’d lose his best friend, the one person who understands him best.

Somewhere in the night, a blanket had been thrown over them –probably by Take-chan when he’d gotten back from whatever he had been doing –and Daichi curled up into it, the warmth relieving his sudden anxiety about Suga realizing that Daichi _loved_ him in a completely romantic, sexual way.

Suga stirred again, this time actually waking up. He blinked his eyes, taking in Daichi’s face, a slightly flush on his cheeks, a small smile on his face, and _god, Daichi just wanted to kiss him senseless_.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Daichi joked with a wry grin. It was only really a joke because Suga was beautiful all the time.

“Quiet you,” Suga scolded lightly before he yawned, his body still relaxed in Daichi’s hold, and Daichi was hit with the intense feeling and knowledge that he wanted to wake up to Suga like this every day, relaxed in his arms, warm, loved. “Looks like we fell asleep last night.”

“Yeah,” Daichi said. “I’m pretty sure Take-chan gave us the blanket.”

“How nice of him,” Suga sighed dramatically. “I guess we’ll never know what happened to Shinji. Did he ever get in the robot? The world will never know.”

After their weekly soap, they had been watching Evangelion reruns.

“I’m pretty sure he ends up getting in the robot,” Daichi said. “I mean, that’s the entire _point_ of the show.”

“Well, yeah, but we all know that given a choice, Shinji would let Rei pilot Unit 01 instead of him.”

Daichi didn’t really have an argument for that. Suga wriggled a bit, getting comfortable and Daichi couldn’t help but fall even more in love (this was actually a problem, because he felt that he fell even more in love with Suga _every day_ , and he was worried that at this point, Suga could literally _kill_ someone and Daichi would still be in love with him).

“Are the kids up yet?” Suga asked. Daichi shook his head.

“Do you honestly think they would wake up on their own?”

Suga sighed. “What would they do without us?”

“Starve, probably, never get a proper education,” Daichi said. The door to Takeda’s room opened and their Keeper walked out, already dressed for the day.

“Oh, you two are awake,” he said, walking past the couch, sitting down on the armchair next to the couch Suga and Daichi were sleeping on. The two teenagers untangled themselves from each other, a little embarrassed at having been caught in such a position.

“Thanks for the blanket, Take-chan,” Suga said. Takeda laughed.

“It was the least I could do after leaving the two of you to take care of the new members, plus, the two of you looked so peaceful like that, I couldn’t wake you up.”

Daichi blushed. “Well, anyway, what were you doing yesterday?”

“Trying to find you guys a coach,” Takeda sighed.

“Didn’t go well?”

“No. Not really.”

“Are you still asking the guy who works at Sakanoshita?” Suga asked. Takeda nodded.

“I really think he’d be the best option. Sure he’s unexperienced at coaching, but he’s an alumni of the Karasuno Battle Unit. I think he’d be a good choice,” Takeda slouched. “Much better than a simple keeper like me. I barely know anything about Marks and battling.”

“Even if we don’t get a new coach, I’ll do my best to train our team,” Daichi proclaimed.

“Yes,” Suga agreed. “You keep working at finding us a coach, and Daichi and I will take care of the rest.”

Takeda smiled gratefully. “Thanks. I know I can count on you two. Anything interesting happen when I was gone? How are our new members?”

Suga and Daichi shared a look.

“They’ll need some help in the teamwork department,” Daichi groaned. Suga patted his hand, sending him comforting feelings.

“They’re good kids, though,” Suga added. “I’m sure they just need to get to know each other better.”

“Last night when we were watching TV, there was an announcement from the UOME,” Daichi said thoughtfully.

“Oh?” Takeda asked, interest piqued.

“It was about the junior high match that had to be stopped when the gym suddenly burned down,” Suga explained. “Satou-san said that there’s reason to believe the Peacemongers are the cause of the incident.”

Takeda’s eyebrows rose. “The Peacemongers? But they haven’t been active in Miyagi for years.”

“It’s probably because of all of the murders recently,” Daichi said. “At least, that’s the only reason I can think of for them to show themselves again.”

“Yeah, just two weeks ago, that Marked guy was stabbed to death outside of Sendai,” Suga agreed. “That murder was completely unreasonable, and the man who did it wasn’t even arrested, even with all those witnesses.”

“You two don’t think that the Peacemongers are _right_ , do you?” Takeda asked, but it didn’t feel like a question.

“Of course not!” Suga denied. Daichi nodded in agreement. “We’re just commenting that with all the murders, it’s to be expected that they’d start acting out again.”

 Takeda dropped the subject after that, and changed it to the plan for today, but Daichi had an awful feeling that this conversation wasn’t over yet.

* * *

 

Shouyou vibrated from his place next to Kageyama as they walked to the gym, overly excited for what was about to happen –his _first ever real_ training session. He actually hadn’t had a bad time last night, like he had expected to. Kageyama kept to himself, Shouyou kept to himself, it was a nice relationship of mutual ignoring to keep the peace. Neither of them wanted to get kicked out of the battle unit like Daichi had threatened.

“Calm down,” Kageyama commanded. Shouyou stuck his tongue out.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Bakageyama.”

Kageyama made an affronted noise. “It’s just training, dumbass.”

“Well, yeah,” Shouyou said, “but this is my first day of training. Back in junior high, I could only practice in hallways and behind the school building, so I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Hallways?”

“So, this is really exciting for me! The only time I’ve really been to one of these was that tournament, and well, we both know how that turned out.”

Despite himself, Kageyama felt a small tinge of guilt. He knows that he said some things he shouldn’t have at that match ( _what have you been doing these past three years?_ ) but, in his defense, that wasn’t meant to be offensive. He legitimately was kinda sorta impressed by Hinata’s fighting ability. He taken on the entirety of Kitagawa Daiichi’s first string, practically on his own (his Unmarked teammates had barely lasted ten minutes), and even ended up taking down Kunimi and a few others. If he wasn’t such a clumsy shit bastard, he might even have promise.

“Anyway, I’m really excited to learn how to use my Mark!”

Kageyama opened the door to the gym and the two walked in. Daichi and Suga were already inside, talking to a shorter man with a clipboard, who Kageyama didn’t recognize. _Ah,_ he realized, _that must be the Keeper._

“Guwaa!” Shouyou shouted, his face lighting up in a Kageyama didn’t think a person’s could. “It’s so big!”

“Of course it is! It’s a regulation battle training gym,” Kageyama explained, although he knew Shouyou wasn’t paying attention. Daichi, Suga, and the Keeper looked over at them from where they had been talking, coming over.

“Ah, you two must be Kageyama-kun and Hinata-kun. I’m the Keeper of the Karasuno Battle Unit, Takeda Ittetsu. I want to welcome you two to our team.”

“T-Thank you!” Shouyou exclaimed, bowing deeply. Takeda laughed.

“That’s not necessary!”

“Ye- um! Thanks!” Kageyama bowed as well.

 _Aw,_ Takeda thought, _he couldn’t decide what to say. He’s not as bad as the rumors say._

“Hey! Where are Tsukishima and Yamaguchi?” Shouyou asked, looking around.

“They’re on their way,” Suga sighed. “It took me forever to wake Tsukishima up.”

“Right,” Daichi said. “We’re going to have to start without them.”

“What are we doing first?” Shouyou asked, excited. Kageyama, too, felt some amount of excitement at the thought of his first real high school practice.

Daichi grinned at his enthusiasm. The two seemed to be in much better spirits than the day before. Hopefully, this peaceful lull would last throughout practice today.

“Well, today we’ll be doing some regular strengthening practices, and then we’ll split you guys off into your Mark Groups.”

“Mark Groups?”

“He means like Psionics with Psionics, Somatics with Somatics, and so on,” Kageyama explained. “We did that at Kitagawa Daiichi.”

“And then, after you practice with your Mark Groups, we’ll come back for a group practice,” Daichi finished. Shouyou nodded.

“Who’s in my Mark Group?”

“Tanaka, Tsukishima, Narita, Kinoshita, and me,” Daichi informed. “Typically, I wouldn’t be with you Somatics, but since I’m the only Dimensional Mark in Karasuno, I tend to practice with you guys.”

“I’ll be leading the Psionic practice,” Suga went on.

“What about the coach?” Kageyama asked. “Where’s he?”

“I’m still looking for one,” Takeda cut in. “Our old coach collapsed and retired.”

“I know,” Kageyama frowned. “I came here because I wanted to learn from that famous Ukai.”

Takeda scratched his head nervously. “I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to put up with me until I can get someone for you guys. Daichi’s been doing a really good job at taking on the responsibilities of a coach in Ukai-san’s absence.”

Daichi blushed. “I’m no match for Coach Ukai. I’m just trying to help you out, Take-chan.”

“Oi! Daichi-san!” Tanaka shouted from where he’d been pestering an annoyed looking Ennoshita (although Kageyama noted that Ennoshita _always_ looked vaguely annoyed at something). “Are we going to start stretching?”

“Right!” Daichi said. He clapped his hands on Shouyou’s and Kageyama’s shoulders with a _Let’s go_ before he ran off to join the rest of the team. Shouyou and Kageyama looked at each other before they joined him.

* * *

 

“So, tell me, Kuroo-san! What was it like saving that old lady from the mugger?”

“Well,” Kuroo Tetsurou, 17, looked at the camera with a smirk, “I was walking down to the store to buy food for my Battle Unit at Nekoma when I saw a suspicious looking man following Kurosawa-san –that’s the old woman –and I could _tell_ something was wrong, so I went after him. It wasn’t long before he grabbed her and yanked her into an alley. I couldn’t just _let_ him hurt that poor woman, so I went in and stopped it.”

“And how did you do that exactly?”

“I simply _talked_ him out of it.”

Kozume Kenma stopped listening to the channel his friend was on, going back to his game.

“Kenma,” Kuroo said, hanging halfway off of Kenma’s bed, watching as his friend stopped paying attention. “Pay attention to me when I’m on TV.”

Kenma’s eyes flicked up to his friend’s face. “Kuroo, we both know that story’s bullshit.”

Kuroo frowned. “I am _appalled_ to know that you’d think that I _wouldn’t_ help that _poor, poor_ old lady.”

Kenma rolled his eyes, but didn’t comment. Kuroo would be Kuroo. He hadn’t been friends with the guy for almost his entire life only to expect more from him. Kuroo tapped his head.

“After the meeting tonight we should go by the store and get you some more bleach. Your roots are showing.”

Despite himself, Kenma couldn’t help but smile.

* * *

 

Sweat rolled down Shouyou’s _everything_ as he crouched on the floor. Daichi-san hadn’t been joking about _strengthening_ practice. He had been elated that morning when he’d learned that in high school, kids in a Battle Unit had a different schedule than normal Unmarked kids. Instead of attending normal classes every day, on Tuesdays and Thursdays he would attend Mark Practice for the entire school day. He had been _super excited_ because academics were _not_ his thing, to put it nicely. But now, he was regretting it.

He hadn’t realized how hardcore battlers needed to be to actually battle. He didn’t think his body had ever even _thought_ about running five miles to _warmup_ (right now he was on his _seventh_ of the day, Daichi had said that he wanted them all to run at least _ten_ before they took a break and then went to Mark Group). A foot entered his line of vision and he looked up.

“Giving up already?” Kageyama said derisively. Shouyou snorted, standing up, clutching his stomach.

“N-No!”

“If you can’t handle this,” he gestured to the gym in a general sweep of his hand and Shouyou looked around to see the rest of his new team running as well. A few guys were already done (Daichi, Tanaka, and Ennoshita), “then, you shouldn’t even think about trying to surpass me.”

Shouyou growled and threw himself at Kageyama, knocking him off balance before shooting off again. “Check again, bastard! I can still run _ten more laps_!”

“You haven’t run the first ten, dumbass!” Kageyama shouted, already on his feet and moving after Shouyou. Shouyou ignored the stitch in his side and put on the speed, passing a jogging Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. He caught the look of blatant disgust on Tsukishima’s face and thought about going back and running circles around him, but decided against it.

He looked over as Suga finished his tenth, going over to stand next to Daichi, who offered him a towel with a smile. Shouyou looked behind him, seeing Kageyama already starting to catch up. He ran faster, trying to push his body past its limits without activating his Mark. Kageyama was neck to neck with him now and _damn damn damn, damn these shitty short legs_ , they passed the mile marker again and started on the next lap.

“Hey!” Daichi shouted, alarmed as the two blew past where he and Suga were standing. “Don’t burn yourself out!”

“Go Hinata! Fight!” Tanaka shouted, whooping.

“Tanaka, stop that!” Daichi yelled.

 _Two more, two more,_ Shouyou counted. _Just two more and I can wipe the floor with Bakageyama_.

They passed Tsukishima and Yamaguchi again and the second years too, before making around the mile marker one more time.

Kageyama started to pull ahead and Shouyou tried to close the gap, but he couldn’t. Kageyama continued on ahead, looking back slightly and Shouyou swore he saw him _smile_ at the fact that he was crushing Shouyou. Shouyou was filled with rage and blew past Tsukishima and Yamaguchi and entered his _tenth and final_ lap, but Kageyama was at least a quarter mile ahead of him and Shouyou felt like kicking something or someone _preferably_ Kageyama.

Kageyama finished his last lap, slowing down to a jog and then a run as he cooled down by walking around the track one more time. Shouyou came in almost half a mile behind and proceeded to collapse on the ground, breathing heavily. He never thought he’d be thankful for years of biking up and down the mountain, but he was. That let him get through this _awful training session_.

Suga and Tanaka had already run over to him and were helping him up.

“I’m fine –I’m fine,” Hinata said, waving them off. He shook his legs, trying to get the feeling back in them. He had hit his runner’s high somewhere in those laps and his legs were like jelly.

“Walk it off to cool yourself down,” Suga said. “It can be really dangerous if you just stop like that.”

“Okay,” Shouyou said and started to walk, his arms stretched above his head to help him breathe better. Kageyama walked up behind him, breathing heavily, like he should after having run ten miles, but otherwise okay. Shouyou glared up at him, unable to comment because he was still trying to remember how to use his lungs.

“My win,” Kageyama breathed and Shouyou couldn’t believe his _audacity_ to think that even _counted_ because Shouyou should have won.

“Just you wait, bastard,” Shouyou hissed throw his teeth as breathing started to become easier. “I’ll grind you into the dust next time.”

Kageyama scoffed. “You can _try_.”

 


	5. But I --Was Twice As Bold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> powers are used, tsukki needs to stop, daichi's a good dad, and the plot thickens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took my Power in my Hand—  
> And went against the World—  
> 'Twas not so much as David—had—  
>  _But I—was twice as bold—_
> 
> ~~Emily Dickinson ( _I Took My Power In My Hand_ )

The sharp ring of the phone disrupted the typical silence of Sakanoshita, dragging Ukai from his nap. After a quick curse and grumble, he realized it was probably for the best since he was _supposed_ to be working (no one ever came here other than those Karasuno high schoolers and the kids from their Battle Units, male and female). He reached out and picked up the phone.

“Hello, this is Sakanoshita?”

“How ya doin’ Keishin?” the voice on the other end was rough and worn.

“Grandpa?” Ukai said, surprised. He didn’t normally get calls like this from his grandfather, especially after his grandfather had “collapsed.” “Is something wrong?”

“I was just callin’ about your _attendance_.”

Ukai winced at the tone and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I know I haven’t been coming to the meeting recently, but some stuff’s come up.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, that Karasuno Unit you left. Their Keeper is trying to get me to be their new coach.”

“Takeda, huh?” Ukai Senior said with a sigh. “I’ve always thought he’d end up making trouble for us.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not your problem for now,” his voice was dismissive, a tone that pissed Keishin off to no end. He was tired of never being told anything, but expected to do the things he was asked. “However, there is someone on the team right now who’s related to _us_ by an older sibling of theirs.”

Ukai sighed. “Oh? Are you telling me to take Takeda’s offer?”

“Of course not. I _left_ Karasuno. Why would I want _you_ to work there?” Ukai Senior laughed over the phone. “That reminds me, I have a little _job_ for you to do tonight…”

 

* * *

 

“Break’s over! Round up for Mark Groups!” Daichi called across the gym, causing the team to move. Shouyou had been lying down on his back, scrambled to his feet, eliciting a scathing laugh from Tsukishima, the gesture quickly repeated by Yamaguchi who Shouyou had dubbed during their break as “probably a nice guy too bad he hangs around Tsukishima.” Kageyama only gave him a scathing look that  _kind of_ scathed Shouyou, but since Shouyou’s been dealing with his face for literally the  _whole_ practice, he wasn’t all that phased.

Kageyama stood up as well. “I’m going to go with Suga-san,” he looked at Yamaguchi who was helping Tsukishima up. He seemed to debate something in his mind before he shook his head slightly and walked off. Shouyou didn’t really understand until he did and _oh, he was going to ask Yamaguchi if he wanted to go together since they were both Psionic._ And he didn’t really see anything wrong with that until he thought _oh, maybe Kageyama doesn’t know how to ask_. Which leads to _has Kageyama asked before?_ With his scary face, Shouyou wouldn’t be very surprised if Kageyama didn’t have that much _experience_ in the art of talking to people.

Tsukishima began to walk off to where Daichi and Tanaka were standing. Shouyou hopped around him.

“So, Tsukki.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Shouyou gulped at the disdainful look he was sent. “Tsukishima, now that we’re teammates and all-.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Uhhmm?”

“Look,” Tsukishima turned to Shouyou and leered over him. “I get that Sawamura-san is preaching the whole teamwork and friendship bullshit, but I’ll have you know that’s not why I’m _here_. So, think again before you try and include me in your cute little… _friendship cult_.”

The more he said, the closer he got to Shouyou’s face. Shouyou frequently wished to be taller. Now was not an exception. He tugged at the hem of his shirt and looked away, his face paling from the proximity.

“S-Sorry,” he said, leaning backwards. Tsukishima snorted, muttered something, and stalked off towards Daichi. Shouyou wasn’t really sure why Tsukishima seemed to always be in a pissy mood, but he couldn’t deny the fact that he was kind of curious as to why Tsukishima wanted to battle if he wasn’t in it for the team. You can’t have a Battle Unit with only one person, so why join one in the first place?

He followed after and was the last to make it to the group practice. Daichi seemed patient though, casting a worried glance at Tsukishima.

“How is everyone feeling?”

Tanaka groaned loudly, followed by snickers from the Kinoshita and Narita, the other second years.

“Daichi-san, don’t you think that was a bit much for the first day?” Tanaka groaned.

Daichi rolled his eyes. “You, of all people, should appreciate the strengthening training.”

Tanaka groaned again. Daichi ignored him.

“Today’s going to be a pretty simple day,” Daichi began. “Right now, I just want to see how proficient you are at using your Marks. We need to make sure you’re using them properly and that you aren’t going to end up injuring yourself. The use of Somatic Marks is highly dependent on the strength of your physical body. That’s why the strength training that we’ll be doing will benefit you guys the best. We’ll start with going down the line, activating your Marks. Take it slow. If you aren’t used to activating it, you could end up hurting your body. I’ll start.”

After a second, a soft, yellow glowing became visible through the light fabric of Daichi’s sweater. Shouyou’s eyes widened. So _that’s_ what an active Mark should look like. He stared at Daichi in anticipation, waiting for him to flicker in and out of existence, but nothing like that happened. Shouyou was kind of confused. Daichi’s Mark was teleportation, so shouldn’t he be _teleporting_?

Tanaka went next and bared the back of his hand, showing his red Mark. It began to glow as well, growing a miniscule amount. There was a slightly steely scent around them, and Tanaka’s body seemed to bulk up slightly, his muscles becoming more defined. He laughed loudly. Shouyou saw the group of Psionics sitting around on the floor in a circle startle at the sudden noise. They must have been doing some weird meditation practice.

Narita went next, a part of his red Mark showing on his upper thigh. Kinoshita followed, his Mark showing up prominently on the inside of his upper right arm. The metallic scent that had entered the air when Tanaka activated his Mark got stronger with Kinoshita’s activation. Shouyou watched with rapt interest as Kinoshita grew pink in the face, and arms, and everywhere, before blue veins began to become more prominent in his arms and neck. Shouyou wished he had been paying attention when Narita and Kinoshita had introduced themselves and explained their Marks.

Tsukishima went next, the red light shining through his white t-shirt around his lower abdomen, close to his stomach. The weird metallic scent didn’t change when he activated his Mark, and the expression on his face only looked bored.

Shouyou concentrated. He still wasn’t sure how to activate his Mark, he just kind of _used_ it. When he wanted to jump he just _jumped_ , and then he was flying. He concentrated and concentrated and concentrated, but his Mark never grew hot (as Marks were supposed to when used) and it didn’t glow either.

“Hinata-kun,” Daichi started. “Go ahead and try to activate it.”

Shouyou’s face flushed. “R-Right.” He _was_ trying. He just didn’t know _how_. Beside him, Tsukishima snorted derisively.

“I bet he doesn’t even _know_ how to activate his Mark. Not that I’m _surprised_ or anything.”

“Hey! What was that?!” Shouyou shouted, sounding angry and flustered at the same time (a combination he had only ever heard from himself).

“Tsukishima!” Daichi chastised. Tsukishima scoffed and looked away. Tanaka was in his face in a little under an instant, eyebrows drawn up and a frown in place. Even though Tsukishima was taller than him, Tanaka was somehow able to make it seem like he was looking down on him.

“Oi, bastard! Daichi-san’s our captain. Show some fucking respect!”

Daichi put a hand on Shouyou’s shoulder. “Have you ever been taught how to use your Mark?”

Shouyou shook his head. “I was the only Marked person at Yukigaoka, so I taught myself.”

“How do you normally use your Mark?”

Shouyou shrugged. “I just do. It just works when I want it to.”

“Can you use it now?” Daichi asked. Shouyou nodded.

“Ossu!” with that he jumped, rocketing his small form into the air. He stayed floating above them for a while, almost touching the high ceiling of the gym before he lost it and came back to the ground, landing softly on his feet.

Daichi’s brows were furrowed. Tanaka whooped. There was polite clapping from the other two second years. Tsukishima watched with a frown on his face.

“Impressive, Hinata!” Tanaka shouted.

“Your Mark didn’t activate at all?” Daichi asked.

Shouyou shook his head. “It never glows or gets hot or anything. Maybe a little itchy, but that’s it.”

“What color is it?”

“Orange.”

“Hmm,” Daichi said with a pause. “I’ll teach you how I activate my Mark, then.”

“But you have a Dimensional Mark?”

“I know,” Daichi said. “I have a theory as to why your Mark is acting the way it is, but I want to test it out first.”

Shouyou grabbed at the hem of his shirt, but nodded. He was a little worried, but also excited at the thought of Daichi being able to fix his Mark. He’d spent almost his entire life sure that he was broken in some way because his Mark never worked right.

Daichi turned to the Somatics. “I want you guys to work on expanding and contracting your Mark’s energy level without activating the power itself. This exercise will help you gain more control over your Mark,” he went back to Shouyou. “Mark activation is different for each group. I have a feeling that your Mark might not actually be a Somatic type.”

“You think I’m Dimensional?”

“Possibly. Somatic Marks affect the body and the body’s physical capabilities. Yes, flying is outside of a human’s typical physical capability, however, it should effect something on your body. I’m not sure what type your Mark is, but I’m leaning towards either Dimensional or Energy, mostly because those two are extremely similar when it comes to activation and physical manifestations.”

“I see,” Shouyou tried to take in the information, but it was a little much all at once.

“I want you to close your eyes and I want you to _feel_ the world around you.” Shouyou closed his eyes, like he was asked, but he was still kind of confused.

“Don’t think of the world as a stable entity, think of it as a _space_. Let go of your sense of placement in the physical world. Breathe deeply and forget that you exist here.”

Shouyou took in a long breath, and focused on Daichi’s voice and the emptiness around him until all that he could really feel was the space on all sides of him.

“Good,” Daichi’s voice was like an anchor keeping him grounded. “Now I want you to recreate the feeling you get when you fly. Recreate it, but don’t act on it. Can you do that?”

Shouyou nodded and focused on the feeling of his stomach in his throat and the weightlessness that came with using his Mark.

“Good, now open your eyes.”

Shouyou did, and looked around at Daichi, who was smiling proudly at him. He looked at his feet and saw that only his toes were still pressed to the ground. A warmth spread over him, starting at the junction of his neck and clavicle. He looked down and saw a bright orange glow coming from the small part of Mark that peeked out of his shirt.

“Like I thought,” he said, “you’re definitely Dimensional. You even fazed for a bit there.”

Shouyou practically vibrated with elation. He took a step forward to bounce in his excitement, but he wasn’t expecting the weightlessness. The step flung him up into the rafters of the ceiling, where he hit one of the poles. He grabbed onto it.

The loud bang rattled through the gym, calling the team’s attention to his predicament. Tanaka laughed raucously, pointing up at him as he held onto the rafter. His Mark was still activated, but he wasn’t sure what it would make him do. Tsukishima was also laughing and he said something to Yamaguchi which made him chuckle. Shouyou’s face burned.

“Hinata-kun, can you get down?” Daichi asked. Shouyou shook his head. Tsukishima snickered and said loudly enough for everyone and their mom to hear:

“I never thought I’d end up looking up to someone so _short_.”

Yamaguchi howled. “Good one, Tsukki.”

“Tsukishima! Fix your attitude!” Daichi roared, but it didn’t seem to have much of an effect.

“We’ll get you down!” Suga called. Daichi nodded before he slipped out of time and space. In a split-second, he had grabbed Shouyou, teleporting back to the ground with him. Shouyou thought he knew what most things felt like, but he did _not_ know what that was going to feel like. Teleporting was the most _uncomfortable_ thing he had ever done in his short life so far.

As he was placed back down on the earth, Shouyou felt as if his entire world was caving in. He started to fall towards the floor, unsure as to why his legs wouldn’t support him, they always had before, only to be caught by Daichi.

“Since you’ve never used your Mark when it was fully activated, it’ll take some time for you to become used to the feeling and the wear Dimensional Marks have on the body,” Daichi explained. “Also, you fazed earlier, which will make you feel a little sick and sore tomorrow.”

“Why?” Shouyou asked, the feeling coming back to his body. His Mark’s glow was dimmer than before, but still pretty visible. At least now the weightlessness was replaced with something much heavier.

“Dimensional Marks are able to bend the fabric of time and space,” Daichi explained. “But doing that puts a lot of strain on your body.”

“Why am I Dimensional? I fly.”

“Actually, I think it’s less of a flying, more of a gravity manipulation,” Daichi expressed. “Which is why your activation sequence is Dimensional, since gravity manipulation is a Dimensional power.”

“But my Mark is orange, not yellow.”

“Yeah, I can’t really explain that,” he shrugged. “But Dimensional Marks are so finicky, I wouldn’t be surprised if they came in weird colors. The understanding of our type is so underdeveloped, scientists really can’t say much for certain about it.” He clapped his hands.

“Anyhow, let’s get back to practice.”

 

* * *

 

The rapt attention with which Kageyama and Yamaguchi paid attention warmed Suga’s heart. They both obviously really wanted to improve their Mark usage. It was cute.

“Since we’ve all calmed down from that little incident,” Suga said lightly. Yamaguchi chuckled a little, “I want to start with you guys showing the group your Mark and what it can do. I know that this might be a little more difficult since our abilities are psychic, so they aren’t shown in the physical world, but please try your best.”

“I’ll go first,” Ennoshita volunteered. He fixed his sleepy eyes on Yamaguchi and after a second’s hesitation, moved a hand upwards, Yamaguchi’s body following the movement. The first year shrieked in surprise. Ennoshita set him down carefully. “It’s harder to move bigger objects, like people.”

“Good job, Ennoshita!” Suga cheered. Kageyama seemed fascinated, despite himself. “I’ll go next.” His eyes moved around the gym, trying to find a victim. He didn’t want to use any of his Psionic kouhai. His eyes focused on Tsukishima and he smirked. He felt his Mark warm on his forehead and he let sensations flow over him. Tsukishima was conflicted, over what Suga didn’t know, but he was conflicted and annoyed (probably at Tanaka or Shouyou).

Suga put his own sensations through the metaphorical line he had just connected to Tsukishima’s brain. _Happy, happy, happy_ –Tsukishima’s frown moved into a big, dazzling smile – _affection, affection, feel affection_ –Tsukishima wrapped an arm around Shouyou’s shoulders, leaning down and saying something jovial into his ear. Shouyou laughed a little nervously. Suga felt that he was confused. Waves of confusion rolled off of the surrounding group before realization hit Daichi. A second later, he looked over at Suga and rolled his eyes.

Yamaguchi was scandalized at the display as Suga cut the connection, watching as Tsukishima looked at his arm (the one that had been touching Shouyou) in disgust.

“You’re very powerful, Suga-san,” Kageyama breathed, a little amazed. Suga laughed.

“I’m not really, it’s just an easy power to use.”

“I can go next,” Yamaguchi offered. His Mark slithered up his neck, cupping the side of his face, and suddenly the gym was snowing. Chills went down Suga’s spine and his breath huffed out in little clouds. He wrapped his arms around himself to get warm, but his _body temperature_ was cold, not just the surrounding area. “It’s a little rough,” Yamaguchi offered. “But this is about as much as I can do when I’m using my Mark on groups of people.”

The illusion faded, and the gym was back, warm with that lingering smell of sweat and the metal scent of magic.

“That was good, Yamaguchi,” Suga said. Even though the illusion was over, he still felt a little cold. “Your turn, Kageyama.”

Kageyama frowned. “I don’t know how to show my power. I can basically just tell when something’s about to happen and react. It’s more like a feeling, as opposed to an ability I can externalize.”

“Can you tell when something’s about to happen to someone other than yourself?” Suga asked. Kageyama nodded. “Then show us that.”

Kageyama looked to where the other group were working on their powers. “Hinata’s going to start accidentally flying and Tanaka’s going to tackle him to the ground,” it happened just as he was getting the words out. “Tsukishima’s going to lau,” he wasn’t even finished with his sentence before Tsukishima was snickering at the display. Shouyou flushed and yelled something, a little flustered.

“That must be a really helpful ability when you’re on the Court,” Suga commented.

“It can be a little overwhelming,” Kageyama admitted. “It’s hard to focus sometimes.”

“Do you think you’re close to unlocking the next power level?” Yamaguchi asked. Kageyama shrugged.

“I’ve been getting weird visions sometimes when I’m asleep. It’s been happening since the match I had with Hinata in junior high.”

Yamaguchi sighed. “I’m not even close to anything like that.”

Suga smiled. “That’s why we’re practicing. Now, let’s talk about where to go from here.”

 

* * *

 

The giant arm grabbed Oikawa Tooru, throwing him to the ground with a loud bang, his knee twisted sickeningly. The Controller bit his lip, keeping in the upcoming screech as he tried to stand up.

_Dammit dammit dammit_ , he can’t be taken out _now_ , he has to keep _training, improving,_ he has so much to do, and he can’t be injured, not _now_. _Fuck fuck fuck_ , how could he let a _fucking first year_ do this to him? He was so focused on _watching, observing_ the kid with the after image creation ability that he hadn’t even fucking _thought_ to keep an eye on the other first year. _Shit fuck_ how was he supposed to beat Ushiwaka _now_?

Hands scooped him up.

“Iwa-chan,” he said. He’d know those hands anywhere. They’d picked him up, hit him, comforted him more times than he could count for as long as he could remember. “Iwa-chan, not now, I can’t be hurt now, I have to I have to.”

“I know, Assikawa,” Iwaizumi Hajime’s voice was rough (it normally was, but Tooru knew him so well, too well, and the worry was so clear, so prevalent, he felt sick). “I know, but that’s not important right now.”

There were people shouting and running around him, but he didn’t care, couldn’t see through the black spots in his vision and now amount of psionic ability could keep him from feeling the awful, stabbing, overwhelming pain running through his body, up his leg.

Stuff happened fast, and stuff happened slowly, but he couldn’t really focus on what was happening until he was laying in the hospital bed (how did he get here? He didn’t know) with his leg in a heavy cast, held above him by a sling attached to the ceiling of the white, white room.

“Iwa-chan,” his voice was hoarse, from what he wasn’t sure, but he was pretty sure he had cried at some point.

“Get some rest, Trashkawa,” Hajime said, his hand wrapped around Tooru’s, holding it still and firm. “We can talk in the morning.”

Tooru didn’t want to sleep, but he couldn’t help the heavy feeling in his eyelids that made him drift into blackness of dreams he’d forget later.

Hajime ground, rubbing his face as he looked at that _idiot Oikawa_ sleeping in his bed, sedated and tired. Fuck. He hated battling, he really did, but Oikawa loved it, and without Hajime, he’d probably end up getting killed.

Hajime should have been there, should have protected his Controller, so _what_ if that wasn’t his job as the Advancer. If he had been there, this wouldn’t have happened. What’s the point of having a Mark if he couldn’t protect this person?

He stood up and walked out of the room. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, seeing Oikawa laying there, his leg strung up and broken. He sat on the bench in the hospital hallway, his head in his hands. Beating Ushijima was so fucking important, and now that goal was fucked.

It wasn’t just his leg that had been injured, Oikawa had hurt so much more, like the majority of his _ribs_ and his _hip_ which had been _sticking out of the fabric of his shorts and blood, blood was everywhere_ , Hajime can still feel the blood on his hands and his shirt from where he had picked Oikawa up off of the ground. Fuck that first year who couldn’t control his own animations to the point that he’d do something like this.

Fuck the entire battling _system._

Footsteps were loud in the quiet hallway, and it wasn’t like the masked figure approaching him was trying to be subtle anyway. Hajime stood. He wasn’t sure what this guy wanted, or why he was wearing something so conspicuous.

“Are you Iwaizumi Hajime?” he asked. His voice was full of static, as if he was talking through one of those cheap voice manipulators. Hajime grunted in assent.

“Why do you need to know?”

“Sit with me,” the man commanded, patting the seat of the bench. Hajime sat back down, warily. “Your friend was hurt pretty badly today, huh?”

Hajime felt something cold go down his spine screaming _danger dangerdangerdanger_.

“Battling is pretty fucked up, isn’t it?” the man asked again. “Throwing yourself into the midst of violence and chaos, just to waste your time entertaining the Unmarked people watching. Doesn’t it make you mad, realizing that the only reason your friend is hurt is because he’s trying to fulfill that pointless _show_. You’ve thought about it before, haven’t you? You’ve realized that the only reason battling exists is to keep us Marked people in that place of subjugation, to keep us thinking that our only true purpose is to entertain those Unmarked people.”

Hajime was quiet. The man took it as permission to keep going.

“And what do we get? Murder. I’m sure you’ve heard of the man that was killed publically in the streets of Sendai, right? How no one stepped in to stop the stabbing, how the Marked people that tried to get involved ended up being sent to jail for acting “indecently” while the murder was pardoned. Doesn’t that make you angry? Your friend is killing himself, getting killed on the Court for those fuckers, and they don’t care at all.”

“You’re a Peacemonger, aren’t you?” Hajime asked quietly. The man let out a breath.

“Yeah, but I’m also like you. I used to battle, a long time ago. And then I understood what was actually going on.”

“Why would I want to become a criminal?”

“Think of it more as a revolutionary. Fighting for a change in the system. Think of it as a way to get more power to help protect that friend of yours,” the man said. He dug in his pocket before taking out a small sheet of paper. “Think about it. And if you want to know more about us and what we do, call this number.”

Hajime took the paper from his hand, looking at the number quietly. The man stood up.

“I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.”

There was a searing heat, and the man was gone.


	6. Bring Me But One, I'll Promise Thee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get heated, things get shady, things get decided. basically, there are a lot of things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Bring me but one, I'll promise thee,_  
>  Instead of common showers,  
>  Thy wings shall be embalm'd by me,  
>  And all beset with flowers.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Robert Herrick ( _To the Western Wind_ )

Finding out that his Mark was Dimensional was probably one of the coolest and most confusing things to ever happen to Shouyou. Not only did this mean that he had one of the rarest and least understood Mark types, it also meant that it was _super hard_ to train and use. Daichi was a good teacher though, as a fellow Dimensional, and Shouyou trusted him to make Shouyou into an awesome battler.

Over the past week (the practice schedule was _crazy_ , on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, there was morning and evening practice, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, there was all day practice and Mark Classes), Shouyou felt that he had improved a lot. It had been made clear to him that battling didn’t just entail having control over your Mark Power, but also having a good knowledge of battle strategy, fighting, and other Mark Abilities.

What Shouyou lacked in power, tactic, and technique, he made up with speed, agility, and flexibility. They hadn’t had a group battle yet, but Kageyama had told him one night that it would happen sometime next week.

Ugh, Kageyama Tobio.

They didn’t really get along. Which is _completely and utterly_ Kageyama’s fault. It’s not like Shouyou doesn’t _try_ to work with the bastard, it’s that Kageyama _refuses_ to work with anyone other than himself. Shouyou had actually started thinking to himself that the reason Kageyama and Tsukishima hated each other so much was because they were _exactly the same_ , except Tsukishima was smarter. Which was weird, because _Kageyama_ was the one with the psychic powers.

Shouyou tripped, and Kageyama caught his arm.

“Watch it, clumsy shit bastard,” Kageyama growled. Tsukishima snickered from beside them.

“Oh? Shorty, you better feel special –you’ve been touched by royalty.”

Yamaguchi laughed with a mean look that didn’t fit his freckled baby face. “Nice, Tsukki.”

“Shut up,” Kageyama ground out. Shouyou didn’t understand why “King” was such a bad nickname. He thought it was actually pretty cool. He wanted a nickname too! Maybe the Small Giant Returns! _Orrrrr_ the Mighty Crow! _Orrrr_ the Graviton!! That sounds cool! Even if he doesn’t know what a graviton actually is, Shouyou could appreciate a fun-sounding word.

 The four first years had been sent to go and buy more food supplies for the upcoming week. Though it wasn’t surprising that first years would be used as cheap labor (read: free), this wasn’t exactly how Shouyou had pictured his first Saturday. Maybe some more practice, or fun games, or something, not becoming this year’s new errand boy. And though he was a little unhappy with it, at least he hadn’t thrown as big of a fuss as the Bastard Duo (Kageyama and Tsukishima). While Kageyama had accepted his fate more readily, Tsukishima had definitely been the most pretentious about the whole deal. If it hadn’t been for Yamaguchi’s insistence that they just get this over with, the first years would probably have been stuck on bathroom duty for like _ever_.

Shouyou found himself forgiving Yamaguchi a little bit for abandoning him to share a room with his enemy rival. Granted, Kageyama was a much better roomie than he had anticipated. Kageyama was very respectful of his space and was quiet. He didn’t snore or get up ungodly early, and even if he was up before Shouyou, he would go through his morning routine near silently with the room lights off so Shouyou could keep sleeping. Shouyou knew this because he had accidentally left his bag on the floor, which had promptly tripped Kageyama on his way to the bathroom.

Shouyou was surprised he had survived that.

But all in all, Kageyama wasn’t a _bad_ person, just _unsociable_. Shouyou wasn’t sure what had happened in Kageyama’s life to make him so dumb about social interaction, but it was a shame, really. He had a feeling that if Kageyama was more trusting and willing to work with others, he wouldn’t be that bad of a friend.

Just look at Tsukishima, he’s got to be doing something right if Yamaguchi is still hanging around him. Shouyou gave Yamaguchi a look that he hoped said _Stay strong, Yamaguchi_. Yamaguchi’s nose crinkled at him and the rest of his face warped into a mask of confusion.

_Ah_ , Shouyou thought, _my feelings weren’t conveyed_.

Shouyou suddenly frowned. “Am I going to be Kageyama’s Yamaguchi?”

Tsukishima and Kageyama fixed him with looks of disgust (probably at being compared to each other) and scorn.

“What the hell is going through your mind, dumbass?!”

“As I expected, I wouldn’t understand the inner workings of _lower minds_.”

“D’ya wanna fight, or something?” Shouyou growled, pouncing at Tsukishima. Tsukishima flinched back while Yamaguchi fought off a chuckle. After he felt that he had successfully scared Tsukishima, Shouyou ran to the other side of Kageyama before Tsukishima could fix him with that scary leery thing he did. Kageyama looked over his shoulder to where Shouyou was _so not hiding_ with a sigh and a grumble.

Shouyou liked the part of Kageyama that didn’t ask questions.

“Even if we did fight,” Tsukishima said airily, “there’d be no competition.”

Yamaguchi snickered and Shouyou wondered if Yamaguchi honestly found the things Tsukishima said as funny, or if he was only doing that to spare his precious Tsukki’s feelings.

Sakanoshita was a small shop close to the junction leading towards the housing district and the mountain road Shouyou would have to take when he visited home. It was kind of cute, he found, but the thing that mostly enticed him was the _glorious smell of meat buns, curry meat buns_. He practically flew into the store (no pun intended) and to the case where the meat buns were held. He pressed his face against the glass of the case. He hadn’t had a meat bun for an entire _week_ since he’d come to Karasuno.

“Oi! Stop drooling on the display!”

Shouyou jumped at the voice, spinning around. The clerk stood up from his chair behind the counter, coming over to presumably lecture him about how to act in a store. Shouyou started to quiver.

“Shorty,” came Tsukishima’s dry tone, “can you not practice at least _some_ self-control at least _once_ in your life?”

Ukai turned around, looking at him with a scowl before his eyes narrowed. “Hey, you look sort of familiar. What’s your name?”

Tsukishima’s face was blank. “Tsukishima Kei. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

“Tsukishima?” Ukai said to himself, a surprised look on his face. Tsukishima frowned deeper at him. “You battling for Karasuno?”

“Yeah,” Tsukishima said, his face had already morphed back into a look of vague disgust.

Ukai put a hand on his hip, like he was going to say something else, but his eyes flickered back down to Shouyou. Shouyou gulped at having been remembered. He didn’t really understand why Tsukishima’s weird connection to the clerk of Sakanoshita, and from the look he was getting from the clerk, he wasn’t supposed to.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama could see that Kiyoko-san was cute, but he didn’t really _get_ why the other boys fawned over her so much, which is why it was his job to deliver the supplies he and the other first had just bought for her and Ennoshita to cook.

“Thank you, Kageyama-san,” Kiyoko said politely, already starting to put the ingredients and food objects away in the fridge and pantry.

“You’re welcome, Shimizu-san.”

“Oh, Kageyama-san,” Kiyoko interjected as Kageyama began to leave. “Make sure you check the schedule on the board in the main room to see when it’s your turn to help cook, as well as your chore schedule.”

“Na-Yes,” Kageyama bowed his head. “Thank you.”

He was a bit surprised, but not really shocked about the chore thing. Back at Kitagawa Daiichi, while they lived on campus (every battle unit in the country was required to by a law made by the UOME), they hadn’t had to do the menial labor to keep the barracks clean and nice. Karasuno was a significantly smaller and less popular, so it would make sense that they wouldn’t have the same funding.

He looked at the board and groaned, before he realized this was probably the least painful task for him. He had to clean the equipment after practice with Yamaguchi. He’d rather a 100 Yamaguchis over half a Tsukishima. He couldn’t help the sting of pity that hit him when he saw that Hinata had window washing with the aforementioned bastard.

Kageyama walked into the main room where everyone had congregated. Tanaka was talking about something animatedly to Hinata (who was _eating it up_ , his eyes lit up with excitement), Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were sitting together on one of the smaller couches, talking about something (Kageyama didn’t really want to know _what_ , he didn’t really want to know _anything_ when it came to Tsukishima), Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita were playing some type of card game at a small bistro table in the corner of the room, Daichi and Suga were sitting together on the loveseat, looking off of a laptop screen perched on Daichi’s lap.

Kageyama felt a stab of something bitter, a mixture of fear and sadness, as he realized that everyone had already grouped up during the week, but no one had felt to group up with him. _Fuck_ , _this is exactly what happened before_ that _, don’t let_ that _happen again._

Daichi peered around the room before calling attention to himself.

“Next week,” he began, “we will be holding a three on three match to test out our first years. Suga and I have come up with the team assignments after monitoring everyone during the week.”

Kageyama sighed. If they were going to put them in positions based on their Mark Type, he’d be stuck with either Hinata or Tsukishima. From a statistical standpoint, it made sense to have Tsukishima on his team since Tsukishima had a firmer control on his Mark, but Kageyama honestly didn’t even know where to _begin_ trying to work with Tsukishima.

“On one team, we will have Kageyama, Hinata, and Tanaka, and on the other will be Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, and myself. We decided to make the teams this way to have an equal amount of each Mark Type on both teams.”

“Kageyama, Yamaguchi,” Suga started, “I’ve taught you a little bit, but it would be in your best interest to start forging the metal link with your teammates now.”

Yamaguchi nodded, seeming a little nervous as he glanced at Tsukishima out of the corner of his eye. Kageyama frowned deeply. The mental link? Did he _have_ to? Of course he did, he knew that. You can’t be a Controller and be unable to communicate effectively with your team. He knew that, _god_ , he knew that. He knew that better than Suga, better than that bastard upperclassman of his, better than _anyone_. But even if he knew that, he just _couldn’t_ do it.

So _what_? He could do it on his own. He hated the fact that people thought he couldn’t. Kageyama couldn’t be hit, not when he was focused and in control of his emotions. That’s way his Mark worked. It didn’t need a conscious thought to move his body out of the path of an attack. It predicted and kept him out of danger, and Kageyama put a lot things in that category. In his fifteen years of life, Kageyama had learned that no one could be trusted. Sometimes he wondered if he could even trust himself.

“Don’t make that face,” Suga chastised lightly, putting a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder. “Hinata and Tanaka both have nice minds to communicate with.”

Kageyama kept frowning, even in the face of Suga’s never ending angelic kindness. He wasn’t scared, of course he wasn’t scared of connecting with them. But there was that voice inside of him that said, _yes_ , he _was_ , because they could _shut him out_.

Kageyama pulled away from Suga’s comfort. “It’s fine. I can do this on my own.”

Suga pulled a worried face, but backed off. “If you say so. Just remember that I’m always here to help you, okay?”

Kageyama grunted in assent with a nod, although he probably wouldn’t take Suga up on the offer. He’d learned that you can’t actually trust your upperclassmen, they’ll never actually help you. He’d asked, once, and that really hadn’t worked out for him.

“Kageyama!” Hinata shouted. “Daichi said we can go practice in the gym, let’s go!”

Kageyama scoffed. “Why would I practice with you? You’re useless. Stay out of the way. I’d rather subdue everyone else on the court by myself, than trust you with an active part in the battle.”

Hinata glared at him, and it wasn’t icy, like Kindaichi and Kunimi and everyone else who’d betrayed him (or did he betray them, he didn’t know he didn’t _know_ ) back at Kitagawa Daiichi. It was hot, with determination and the need to _prove him wrong_. It was a challenging glare.

“What the hell?!”

“Like I said,” Kageyama ground out. “Your Mark is underdeveloped and uncontrolled, so that makes it obsolete. I don’t need you to help me when this battle. I can manage perfectly well on my own. I don’t care if I have to play all the positions by myself. It would still produce a better result than having you on the court.”

Without any warning whatsoever, Hinata jumped him, with a shriek, catching Kageyama with an arm as Kageyama’s body moved instinctively to dodge.

“Oi!” Daichi shouted, running at the two as Hinata clambored to keep his position on top of Kageyama.

“I’ll show you _useless_ , you _asshole_!”

Kageyama threw him to the ground, trying to get back up on his feet, but Hinata was faster and wrapped his arms around Kageyama’s legs, making him fall again. Hinata started to climb on top of him again when the weight was suddenly lifted off. Kageyama looked to see Hinata struggling in Daichi’s grasp. Suga ran over and began to help Kageyama up. Hinata’s eyes were kind of teary, but they weren’t sad, they were _angry_.

“You’ll respect me, Kageyama! I’ll make you respect me and I’ll _beat you_.”

“Okay, let’s all just calm down,” Suga said, trying to get a handle on the conversation without using his Mark. The rest of the team was watching the proceedings varying levels of curiosity.

Daichi’s face was stern and angry as he grabbed Kageyama by the arm, still holding Hinata by the back of the shirt, and he dragged them outside of the main room. He threw them both forward as he let go.

“I’ve already told you what it means to be a part of this battle unit. I thought I’d made it clear. Neither of you will be participating in practice nor any of our activities until you can learn to work together. You have until the three on three next week to figure out your issues and become a cohesive unit. If you can’t, then you’re out of the unit for good. Do you understand?”

Hinata looked like he was going to shit himself, but Kageyama couldn’t even make fun of that because he felt the same way. He’d faced the grotesque animations of Kunimi before, but that had nothing on the way Daichi’s face had morphed from the fair dictator to whatever this creature from _hell_ was.

“Great. Now, go to your room. Suga will bring you dinner later.”

 

* * *

 

The only thing worse than an almost dead Oikawa was an Oikawa healed enough to be jittery and annoying.

“Iwa-chan~,” Oikawa called, pawing at Hajime’s arm incessantly, “let me go outside~.”

“Not happening, Trashkawa,” Hajime barked for like the fiftieth time in the last hour. “The doctor said you’re not ready to go out yet. Your wounds could get contaminated.”

“Ah, Iwa-chan, so responsible. We don’t have to _tell_ the doctor.”

“Um, yeah. We do. We’re in a hospital.”

“Iwa-chan, please.”

“No.”

This had been Hajime’s life for the past week. Antsy Oikawa and his inability to sit still for like ten seconds without his laptop so he could watch battles and volleyball games and manage his blog and whatever the fuck else he put that poor, overused machine through. Honestly, Hajime was surprised it still worked as well as it did.

“Iwa-chan, it’s been a _week_. I’m _fine_.”

Apparently, Hajime’s face had put on its worried expression, which Oikawa had said made him look like he was caught between strangling someone and tucking them into bed. Hajime said that was because even when he was worried, he wanted to kill Oikawa.

Hajime sighed and looked at his friend, his head bruised from where it had hit the ground, the black dots of his Mark under his eyes in that simple pretty pattern, the white hospital bed and dress, his leg, casted, hanging above them in the ceiling sling. The supports holding up his broken hips.

He put his face in his hands and couldn’t stop the ice cold guilt that filled his stomach, or the lump in his throat that wouldn’t go away because if he had just _been_ _there_ , this wouldn’t have happened.

“No, you’re really not, and I,” he stopped short, at a loss for words. He’d never been a conversationalist; that was Oikawa’s job. That’s why they worked. Oikawa could talk and understand Hajime and everything that Hajime needed to say, and Hajime was the only person who knew the _real_ Oikawa. Not the superficial, charming, beautiful Oikawa. The Oikawa that liked crappy alien movies and was sensitive because he was so insecure, the one who was terrified of losing the things he loved, because he thought he was never good enough. The crappy Oikawa who wanted to crush everyone that got in his way, the one who wanted to destroy peoples’ dreams. The one who worked, and worked, and worked, because he _wasn’t_ a genius.

“Iwa-chan-,” Oikawa said in a rush with a sharp breath. Hajime’s hand found its way into his pocket and felt the crinkled edges of the card that man had given him. Hajime needed to protect him, he had to keep him safe. That was the only reason he battled, really. Sure, he liked that vicarious thrill of fighting and using his Mark, but it wasn’t something he was overly obsessed with. He’d only joined it in the first place because it had interested Oikawa when they were children and it was so _rare_ to find something that held his attention for more than a few weeks at a time.

Protecting Oikawa was his job.

He fingered the card again, realizing with a heavy heart that he already knew what his decision was going to be.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m going to make everything okay.”


	7. Like A Lighthouse In The Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kageyama is an asshole, but that's not new, suga is an angel, ukai and takeda are drinking buddies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need  
> Get a little restless from the searching   
> Get a little worn down in between  
> Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes  
>  _Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea_
> 
>  
> 
> ~~NEEDTOBREATHE ( _Brother_ )

Shouyou gripped his bed sheets in his fists, staring down at the linen like it held all the answers. “This is all your fault,” he said to Kageyama, who hadn’t moved from where he was lying on his side, his face towards the wall.

“What are you talking about, dumbass?” Kageyama growled, shifting his shoulders slightly. “It’s _your_ fault. If you could _use_ your Mark effectively, we wouldn’t be having this problem.”

Shouyou didn’t have a way to respond to that. _Yes_ , _okay_ , he knew he was worthless, useless, obsolete, he didn’t need Kageyama to tell him that every day, all the time. He took back all the nice things he’d said about Kageyama. His silence was just his socially awkward nature, hiding his real, _mean, awful_ self under it. Kageyama didn’t care about anyone other than himself. Kageyama wasn’t _nice_.

His silence brought a humph from Kageyama, and though it was probably involuntary, it sounded gloating to Shouyou, and a fierce, angry heat made its way up the back of his neck and onto his face.

“Maybe if you _helped_ me, and I dunno, _teach me_ , we wouldn’t be having this problem,” he said the last phrase mockingly, through Kageyama’s words back at him. Kageyama tensed before he rolled over and stared at Shouyou. Shouyou almost lost his nerve when he saw the look on Kageyama’s face, but he pressed on. “Unless you _can’t_.”

Kageyama’s nose scrunched up and his mouth twisted into a deeper frown, and Shouyou would have called the expression cute if it, you know, wasn’t _Kageyama_. “What did you say.”

“You heard me,” Shouyou said haughtily.

From the look on Kageyama’s face, it was obvious that he had. Kageyama sat up, slowly, drawing up his long, lithe limbs in a graceful way. Kageyama knew his body, knew how to use it, and was so, so different from Shouyou’s clumsy, inelegant way of moving.

“Fine,” Kageyama acquiesced through his teeth, and it sounded as though this was the _last_ thing he wanted to do, “I’ll teach you. But don’t expect for me to forge the mental link with you until you can actually use yourself properly.”

Shouyou couldn’t help the smug grin that weaved its way onto his face.

 

* * *

 

“If I have to hear him complain one more _goddamn time_ ,” Hajime breathed in harshly through his nose, not missing the snicker on the other end of the line.

“Mhm?” said the guy on the other end, the voice changer still on. Hajime didn’t like the secrecy, but he guessed if he was part of an illegal organization, he wouldn’t want to be recognized either.

“So, I have to accept your offer to get stronger so he doesn’t get hurt again, but only because that means that I won’t have to listen to him whine anymore.”

“Of course that’s why,” the man on the other end said with a slight tilt to his voice that showed how funny he took the situation Hajime had described. “And it’s good that you desire to grow stronger. You’ll be able to protect him better this way.”

Hajime was quiet for a second before he coughed. “Yeah, yeah. That’d be good.”

“When you’re let out this weekend, on Saturday, go to the park. I’ll meet you there, and then I’ll take you to a secure location to begin training.”

 “Okay,” Hajime agreed, closing his eyes. Why was he doing this. Why was he doing this for Oikawa. Of course, he already knew that answer. It was because he cared for that asshole. It was because that asshole meant something to him, and it scared him how far he would actually go to keep him safe.

“ _Iwa-chan~_ ,” a voice called from their room. “Who are you talking to? Come talk to me instead~.”

Hajime groaned, a hand coming up to his face. “The annoying house-pet is awake. I have to go. I’ll see you this Saturday.”

He hung up, and went back into their room. Oikawa had been discharged from the hospital and allowed to come back to the barracks at school. Oikawa was lying in his bed, phone already in hand, probably responding to texts from his girl posse.

“Who was that?” he asked, not looking up from the screen as his fingers tapped out something quickly.

“Just a person,” Hajime answered. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

Oikawa hummed. “Just a person that you’re meeting this Saturday?”

“Yeah,” Hajime responded, unsure of how to answer Oikawa’s implications. It’s not like he could tell someone so battle obsessed that he’d joined an organization that was opposing the entire battling system.

Oikawa got a quirked look on his face as he hummed again, although it sounded a little forced. He but his phone down and turned his head to give Hajime that fake grin of his. “Aww! My little Iwa-chan is growing up!”

“Shut up, Trashikawa,” Hajime growled, throwing a stress relief ball (one that Oikawa had got him for his last birthday) at the Controller. Oikawa caught it, a wince on his face as he moved his arm away from his torso, the movement pulling on his swore side. His ribs had been mended by the healers at the hospital, but he was still in a significant amount of pain.

Hajime immediately went into action, standing up and preparing Oikawa’s pain medication, handing the pills to him with a glass of water. Oikawa took it, swallowing the medicine.

“Ah, Iwa-chan’s taking such good care of me. Maybe I should starting calling you-,”

“Finish that sentence, and I won’t hesitate to hit you.”

 

* * *

 

There was a click.

“Tsukishima…” Shouyou growled, looking down to where the bastard was putting his phone back in his pocket. The two were supposed to be cleaning the windows. It had been going fine, Shouyou ignoring Tsukishima’s remarks, until he had to fly up to the highest windows, the ones on the outside of the gym. That’s when his brush got stuck in the bars. He’d spent the last five minutes trying to get the stupid thing out, but it was really, really _stuck_.

“What, I couldn’t miss the chance to take a picture of you in this compromising position. Are you sure your brush is stuck, or can you just not fly down like last time?” he snickered. “Does the captain need to come help you again?”

“No! Shut up, Tsukishima!” Shouyou yelled down at him, yanking at the brush again. His feet were planted on the side of the building as he pulled back at the handle of the brush with all of his might.

He wasn’t even sure how this had _happened_.

He yanked at it, pushing off the wall and trying to fly away. Maybe the extra torque would make this _stupid thing_ come loose.

“Hey! If you do that, you’ll break it!” Tsukishima called at him. This was probably the first time Shouyou had heard something come out of his mouth that was either vaguely threatening or mocking.

“What, so _now_ you want to help me?” Shouyou growled, still yanking at the brush. He jumped away from the wall again. There was a crack. “Fuck!” he yelled, the head of the brush still in the bars. He was flung a little ways back from the release of tension between him, the wall, and the handle before he dropped carefully back down to the ground.

Tsukishima looked down his nose at him, his glasses picking up a slight glare from the sun.

“I told you it would break, you idiot,” he snorted. Shouyou looked at the handle, feeling fear wash over him. What would Sawamura-san do to him now? He was already banned from practice, and now he broke the window washer brush.

“I’m gonna get killed,” he whispered. He looked up at Tsukishima. Tsukishima’s face furrowed.

“It’s just a brush.”

The door to the gym opened and Shouyou quickly hurried behind Tsukishima. Suga, who had just walked out to see what the commotion was looked from the glowering Tsukishima to the hiding Shouyou with question, until he saw the discarded broken brush.

“What happened?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

Shouyou blubbered, staying behind Tsukishima. Tsukishima sighed.

“This idiot got the brush stuck in one of the high windows and then broke the handle off.”

Suga chuckled, picking up the brush handle from the ground. “Don’t worry about it, we have more. Besides, things like this can always be mended.”

Shouyou crept out from behind Tsukishima and towards Suga. Suga smiled at him.

“You’re not in trouble, Hinata,” he paused, then continued with a wink. “Let’s just keep this between the three of us.”

Suga looked up at the window Shouyou had been trying to clean. “Do you think you could fly up there and get the brush out, now that the handle’s not in the way?”

Shouyou frowned, then got a determined look on his face and nodded. He jumped, his Mark activating (a feat that was becoming easier and easier the more he used it), and soared back up to the window. He floated around the bars for a few seconds before he started try and wedge his fingers in the bars. He got his hand in between them and grabbed at the brush.

He honestly wasn’t sure how he got it in there in the first place.

After maneuvering around for a bit, he shimmied his hand and the brush out as well. He flew back down to the ground, landing softly before holding it out to Suga. Suga took the brush from him, looking at where the handle had broken off of it. He made a small humming noise before he looked back at them.

“So, how are your trainings going?”

“For the three on three?” Tsukishima asked, at Suga’s affirmative gesture, he shrugged. “Nothing’s happened that you can’t already hear from Sawamura-san.”

“Has Yamaguchi made the mental link with you yet?” Suga went on, ignoring Tsukishima’s last comment. Tsukishima sighed.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Ask him.”

Suga made a face that highly resembled a mother trying to get her teenage son to talk to her before he turned to Shouyou. “What about you? Tanaka told me Kageyama hasn’t approached him yet.”

Shouyou twiddled his thumbs. “Kageyama refuses to make a mental link with me or train with me at all. I don’t know why he hasn’t tried working with Tanaka-san yet.”

Suga made another mothering face, although this time it was very worried, pensive, with his lips pressed together and his brows drawn together. A hand was on his hip while the other held the handle and brush.

“If he won’t help you right now, I’ll work with you.”

“Really, Suga-san?!” Shouyou exclaimed, his face brightening as his eyes widened. He bounced on his toes.

Suga laughed “Of course! Let me go put this away, and I’ll help you during lunch. I think the two of you deserve a break.”

Shouyou leapt up, whooping. Tsukishima backed away from his enthusiasm. Shouyou wished it was contagious, because then Tsukishima wouldn’t be such a butt.

 

* * *

 

Takeda found Ukai like he normally did on Sunday nights, a bottle of sake in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. The clerk didn’t even bother to look at him as he walked into Sakanoshita, ignoring the closed sign. The door wasn’t locked, anyhow. Takeda always came to visit Ukai on Sunday nights.

Takeda sat down in front of Ukai, like he normally did. Ukai took in a drag of his cigarette before blowing the smoke into Takeda’s face. Takeda made a face at the smell.

“Ukai-kun, if you keep doing that, I’ll get cancer and die.”

“How morbid, Sensei,” Ukai said, although it didn’t look like he necessarily cared. He reached down under the counter and pulled out another bottle for Takeda. Takeda opened it and took a sip. “What brings you here tonight? More troubles with those precious kids of yours?”

Takeda gave him a weird look. “Do I always have to have a reason to come and see you?”

Ukai rolled his eyes. “Yes, apparently, because you never leave me alone about coaching those brats.”

“Let’s forget about that for tonight,” Takeda said, sipping at the mouth of the bottle. Ukai’s lips quirked up.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Sensei?”

Takeda spluttered almost immediately, his cheeks turning ruddy with embarrassment. “W-Wha? Ukai-kun!”

Ukai laughed, coming back down to take another drag, the smoke came out easy as breathing this time. “I’m just messing with you.”

The two men were silent for a few moments before Takeda sighed, slouching. “I’m worried.”

Ukai raised an eyebrow. “What about?”

“There have been multiple threats to keepers. We were debriefed on it during our last meeting.”

“Keeping is a dangerous job,” Ukai said. “You should know that.”

“I do! It’s just,” Takeda sighed, “I don’t want to be hurt or killed. I’m a coward that way.”

Sake went down Ukai’s throat, and he relished the burn it brought to his stomach. “It’ll be fine, Sensei. If the Peacemongers come to Miyagi, they’ll hit Sendai, or one of the other big cities. Not this one. They wouldn’t get press if they attacked here. Our town’s not important enough.”

Takeda nodded, although he didn’t look completely reassured. “The UOME predicts that they’ll do something big soon, and since they’ve been hitting Sendai recently, they’ll go for one of the smaller towns, to show that they’re moving, mobilizing.”

“You should stop listening to that broadcast,” Ukai snorted. “They live off of scaring you Nomarks. That’s how they get all their money. I’m sure the Mongers won’t do something like that. It wouldn’t make any sense. If anything, they’ll hit in another prefect. That’ll pack the biggest punch: Look world, we’re here, and we’re moving.”

“You seem to know a lot about them.”

“They’re simple. Not hard to figure out. They live off of press. They want to make a statement, and that’s what they’ll try and do. Just look at what they did to that Junior High Competition a few weeks ago. No one was killed, although they could have if they wanted to. All they wanted to do was draw attention to the fact that they were still there. And the UOME is feeding them exactly what they want. They want you Nomarks to feel afraid, and so does the UOME to some extent.”

“But why?”

“It’s simple,” Ukai said with a shrug, “if you guys are scared, it’ll draw more attention to our apparent oppression.”

The two men were quite, continuing to drink. Ukai put his cigarette into the ashtray, taking another out of the pack. It lit in his hand, the perks of having a Fire Mark, Takeda guessed.

“You shouldn’t smoke so much,” Takeda chastised lightly. Ukai looked him in the eyes and took an extra-long drag. He once again blew the smoke into Takeda’s face.

“It doesn’t hurt me,” he answered. “Besides, I love to burn.”


	8. 'Cause They Say Home Is Where The Heart Is Set In Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> domestic daisugas are important daisugas, kageyama thinks which is rare, and kagehina learn the value of teamwork

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone_  
>  Is where you go when you're alone  
> Is where you go to rest your bones  
> It's not just where you lay your head  
> It's not just where you make your bed  
> As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Gabrielle Apline ( _Home_ )

The strums of Daichi’s default alarm brought him out of his needed sleep. He reached over, hitting the device until it stopped ringing (whether he was breaking it or hitting the button every Monday morning, he couldn’t be certain, but whichever it was, it was working). He lay in his bed, his eyes struggling in the battle between staying open and allowing him to fall once more into the veil of sleep, before he groaned, rolling over to swing his legs off of the bed. If he didn’t wake up, neither would Suga (he’d be able to sleep through the apocalypse), and what message would that show those troublesome first years and rowdy second years?

He stumbled around the room to Suga’s bed. Suga slept, as with everything else he did, like an angel. Daichi remembered the days before he had a good control over his Mark, when he’d wake up with that face next to his after accidentally teleporting into Suga’s bed. After admiring Suga’s sleeping face for a few seconds (maybe a few minutes, Daichi lacked the ability to understand time after just waking up), he shook Suga’s shoulder. Suga moved away, murmuring something.

“Suga,” Daichi called, shaking him harder. Suga continued to sleep. Daichi shook him a third time. “Suga. Suga. Sugawara. Koushi.”

Suga’s eyes flickered open and beautiful hazel met Dachi’s brown. Suga frowned up at Daichi accusatorily.

“Daichi why.”

“We have to go to morning practice Suga. It’s a Monday.”

“I hate Monday.”

“I know.”

They were quite before Suga reached out and took Daichi’s hand. “Daichi, I had a dream last night.” His voice was quiet and sleepy.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I dreamt that we owned a cat, but the cat was Kageyama.”

“That’s scary.”

“He was a sweet cat,” Suga sighed. “Kageyama just doesn’t understand himself.”

“Did your powers tell you that?”

Suga shook his head. “I don’t need my powers to know something like that.”

Daichi smiled at him, despite his tiredness. “You really are a mom.”

Suga frowned, but his eyes were smiling. “Quiet, you. If I’m a mom, then you’re definitely a dad.”

Daichi laughed, although his heart hurt a bit. He wanted to marry Suga. He slowly let go of his friend’s hand. “I’m going to go get ready. Get up soon.”

Suga sighed, his hands folding together on his stomach. “Yes, dear.” His eyes widened with wakefulness after realizing what he said. Daichi felt warmth crawl up his face as he looked back at his friend. Suga spluttered. “Sorry, I don’t know.”

“It-It’s, yeah. It’s okay,” Daichi said as well. “You’re tired. It’s okay.”

Daichi hurried off to the bathroom. Suga was tired. Suga didn’t know what he was saying. Suga was playing along with their normal joke. Daichi splashed water on his face. There was no point in getting too clean right now, since he was just going to get sweaty again, after morning practice. He was starting to brush his teeth when Suga came into the room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Suga leaned his chin on Daichi’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around Daichi’s stomach.

“Good morning, Suga,” Daichi said.

“Morning, Daichi,” Suga sighed contentedly. He lingered for a few moments before he moved to start his own morning routine. Daichi spat in the sink, rinsing out his mouth before moving to comb his hair.

“Who’s making breakfast this morning?” Suga asked. Daichi paused as he tried to remember. “I think it’s supposed to be Kinoshita, maybe Narita. We have breakfast duty next week. This week, we’re making lunches.”

Suga nodded, taking a brush out of their cupboard. “We can make onigiri.”

“Or we could just send them with those meat buns from Sakanoshita we had the first years buy this past Saturday. That’d make it easier on us.”

“It’s not about being easy,” Suga corrected, “it’s about love.”

Daichi nodded. Love was not easy, he would know. He was in love with his best friend, who was definitely not into him and probably straight. Daichi cursed his bisexual heart. Suga was looking at him in a way that was indisernable, and Daichi panicked for a moment, wondering if Suga _knew_. Well, whatever Suga was looking for, he didn’t seem to find it, and he turned away, wiping his mouth on the hand towel after rinsing it.

Daichi couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment, although he wasn’t sure why, because he felt like something could have _happened_.

“I’m going to get changed,” he said. Suga followed him out. Like every morning, Daichi dutifully turned his back to Suga, not because he didn’t want to look, but because it would be wrong. Suga was so beautiful, lean, and smooth, with a softness that hid his strength from anyone that would look. Just thinking about it was enough to get him slightly bothered and embarrassed. He yanked his practice shirt over his head, he slept without one on, it was just uncomfortable, and pulled athletic shorts over his boxers.

“Oh, Daichi,” Suga called. Despite himself, Daichi turned around to look. _God_ , Suga was a _tease_. Suga looked at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes, his sleep shirt off, his athletic shorts hanging loose enough to show Daichi his sharp hipbones. There was a quirk to his lips, that Daichi knew _meant_ something, but he wasn’t sure _what_. He sucked in a breath as Suga walked closer. “I was wondering,” he said, although it felt like it was just speech filler, and whatever it was Daichi didn’t really _care_ because he wasn’t thinking with the right head and Suga was _there_ and _beautiful_.

“Oh, um, hmm?” Daichi stuttered, feeling a little cornered as Suga reached behind him to grab something –his practice shirt (Daichi wondered why it was on _his_ dresser, that didn’t make _sense_ ) and Suga’s bare chest brushed against the skin of Daichi’s arm, hot, and Daichi swallowed thickly. Suga pulled it over his head, backing away.

“Are you really going to kick Hinata and Kageyama out? You don’t really have the power to do that, you know.”

Daichi sighed, and the moment seemed to be over. He pulled on his socks and one athletic shoe _where was the other one again?_ “I know that decision is Take-chan’s, but if Kageyama can’t forge the mental link with Hinata, he won’t be able to forge it with anyone. You said Hinata’s got a nice mind, right?”

Suga hummed and Daichi heard the squeak of his sneakers on the wood floors. Daichi turned around, about to ask if Suga saw his left shoe when he saw that his roommate was holding it out for him, wordlessly. Daichi took it and began to lace it up.

“Yeah. Hinata’s mind is very inviting, if not a little hyperactive. It sets a nice pace for quick communication. I think it’d be the kind that Kageyama would find the most satisfying to work in, especially considering the trouble he has with telepathy.”

“Kageyama has problems with telepathy?”

“He won’t say it out loud, but he does. That’s what it’s like for psionics whose ability only works on themselves. Since his precognition takes information and only communicates with his mind and sees the things that will happen to him, he has problems sending that energy out and into other people’s minds.”

Daichi grunted. Some dimensionals had problems with fazing, even if it was an ability that everyone had the capacity to do. “I think he’ll work until he can get it though.”

“Of course,” Suga said. “He’s a hard worker and wants to succeed. After what happened in junior high, I’m not surprised that he turned out the way he did.”

Daichi nodded. He’d seen the article in the paper about that match. It hadn’t been pretty.

“Oh,” Suga said, as if remembering something, “I promised Hinata that I’d practice with him during lunch, so I’ll need the keys after practice.”

“Sounds good to me, Hinata needs all the training he can get,” Daichi assented. He opened the door and motioned for Suga to go on ahead. The two made their way to the gym for practice.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama hated school. Not only was he stupid, it made him interact with people who either fetishized Marks or hated them, there was really no in between, with annoying girls who sat behind him and tried to touch the back of his neck where his Mark rested, and the button for a milk box always stuck, so it was extra hard to get it to work.

He was glaring at the machine now. He took a deep breath, putting in another small sum of coins to buy his preferred drink, and waiting for the clink to show that his money had been read and accepted. His gaze turned nastier than it had been before as he slammed his fingers into the button, watching with a sadistic satisfaction as his milk dropped. He reached in, pulling the carton out.

 _Good_ , he thought. He stabbed the straw into it, taking a long sip. _Savor the milk. Love the milk. This milk is yours_. He started to walk back to the normal place he ate, _alone_ , isolated, behind the Mark quarters where no one would bother him, when he heard loud chattering that could only belong to _one_ individual.

Hinata Shouyou had wedged his way into Kageyama’s life in a way that Kageyama despised. He’d challenged him. No one had ever done that before. At least not in the way Hinata had. Yeah, he’d been yelled at, picked on, hit, bullied, and he didn’t want to think, didn’t want to _remember_ what had happened at that last battle when he’d been _betrayed_ (or had he betrayed them? Kageyama didn’t think he wanted to know), but he’d never been challenged in a way that wasn’t trying to make Kageyama hate himself. Hinata was so _honest_.

Despite himself, Kageyama followed the voice, seeing the door to the gym propped open. He looked inside, seeing Suga and Hinata.

They had both taken off their gakuran and were stretching. Hinata released a breath as he straightened from the stretch, going into another one.

“Thanks so much for practicing with me, Suga-san!” Hinata exclaimed. “When I was in junior high, we didn’t have a controller, so I don’t really know how to work with one, or what controllers actually do. I mean, sometimes I would work with the girls’ club controllers, but they refused to do a mental link with me because we could never become real teammates,” he paused. “That’s why I was really excited to see what kind of controller I’d be getting to battle with in high school. But well,” Hinata paused, as if remembering something and Kageyama felt a weird stirring of guilt in his stomach.

Suga bent over to touch his toes. “I’m a controller as well, Hinata. I’m Karasuno’s official one, actually.”

“I know, but I feel like if I just work with you, then I’ve lost,” Hinata said with a deep frown.

Suga laughed. “Why are you so competitive with Kageyama?”

“During our battle in junior high, no matter what Kageyama did he was good at it. No one could hit him at all. He was so strong. When I see him looking down on me, I just get pissed off, way more than when Tsukishima does it.”

“Somehow, I understand,” Suga said, he reached out a hand for Hinata to take to help him up.

“That’s why I came to Karasuno wanting to beat Kageyama,” Hinata said.

“I see,” Suga said, he fixed Hinata with a look. “Then are you battling because you want to defeat Kageyama?”

“Huh? Um…” Hinata paused. “I want to become as strong as someone who can beat Kageyama, because if I do, I can stand on equal footing with even stronger opponents so I won’t lose as easily anymore. I don’t want to lose at all anymore.”

“Really? So in other words, you think Kageyama’s the strongest, right?”

“Um! Well! Uh! Y-Yes.”

“Because, right now for you, he’s the strongest enemy,” Suga surmised. “But now, he has to become your strongest ally.”

Hinata was quiet, and Kageyama wondered what he would say. He looked back up at Suga and nodded. “Right.”

Suga grinned. “Then let’s practice!”

Kageyama turned away from the door, slurping his drink that wasn’t as cold anymore. Though he didn’t like it, Suga’s words had moved him too. Suga was right. He had to become Hinata’s ally, if only to keep battling. Well, if that was the case. His mind was made up. He knew what he was going to do.

 

* * *

 

Shouyou’s mind was still reeling from Suga’s lesson on linking with controllers when Kageyama walked into their room. Shouyou inwardly groaned at his presence, but remembered what Suga had told him. Kageyama is Shouyou’s strongest _ally_. They had to work together.

Kageyama stood in front of Shouyou’s bed, looking awkward (that was normal, Shouyou’s come to find out), instead of going straight to his own bed to not do homework. Shouyou stared up at Kageyama.

“What.”

Kageyama sighed, looking put upon when it was _Shouyou_ who was the victim of this situation. “I’ve decided to help you.”

“Excuse me?”

Kageyama’s mouth twisted and he looked to the side. “I’ve decided to _work_ with you. Make you better.”

Shouyou’s eyes widened. “But I haven’t even done anything yet!”

“What?”

Shouyou gaped. “I haven’t proven myself to you!”

“What, no. Just,” Kageyama sighed again. “Just accept it. I’ve decided that you can prove it to me better when I actually work with you, than when I don’t.”

Shouyou bounced, seeming to accept that. “Does that mean you’ll forge the mental link with me?”

Kageyama flinched back, and he seemed to deflate a bit. Shouyou didn’t know the reason. “Um, later, maybe, probably.”

Shouyou jumped up from bed. “This means we have to start training now! Let’s go!”

“Where? We don’t have a gym.”

“Outside,” Shouyou said. “Back in junior high, I never had a place to train so I would work in hallways, behind the building, the park, anywhere I could find. Practicing outside now shouldn’t be that different.”

Kageyama followed after him and into the lot behind the gym. Shouyou stood across from him, hands on his hips.

Kageyama opened his mouth to say something when Shouyou attacked. Kageyama moved just as it happened, barely keeping away from Shouyou’s form.

“What the hell?” he asked.

Shouyou sat up, dirt staining his shorts. “Suga-san wasn’t joking when he said you knew everything.”

Kageyama bristled. “It’s just precognition. I instinctively know what’s going to happen to me just before it does.”

“But I’ve hit you before,” Shouyou said. Kageyama shrugged.

“Sometimes I can’t get out of the way. Just because I react, doesn’t mean that my body is agile enough to evade every attack.”

“So, I’m too fast for you, Kageyama?”

“I got out of the way this time,” he scoffed, crossing his arms. Shouyou stood up.

“What are we going to do, Kageyama?”

Kageyama paused. “Do you know about the different positions on the battle field?”

Shouyou shook his head. “I only know what they’re called.”

“Then we’ll start with that, I guess. There are five positions that someone can occupy. There can be any number of each, except for the position of guard, when there can only be one. A common formation of players is one controller, two advancers, two blockers, and, of course, one guard.”

Shouyou nodded, taking in the information, although he was slightly overwhelmed. Kageyama went on. “The controller was originally created for psionic users, and still tends to be occupied by us. The controller has to be able to read the movements of the opposing team and direct the attacks of their advancers and blockers. To do this, controllers need the power of telepathy, which only occurs in psionic users. Controllers tend to go head to head with each other. It’s like a battle of wits.”

Shouyou snorted. “If it’s a battle of wits, how are you so good at it?”

Kageyama blushed. “What’s that supposed to mean, dumbass.”

Shouyou laughed. “Exactly what you think it meant, stupid.”

Kageyama went on. “Blockers are meant to protect the controller. They aren’t confined to the area around the controller, but if the controller is injured, it’s the blocker’s fault, since that’s what their position is supposed to be. The guard is a similar position, however they are mainly focused on making sure that the other team doesn’t secure their side. The guard is the last line of defense. Next are the advancers. They have a free reign of movement over the entire court, and are the ones who are supposed to secure the other team’s side.”

Shouyou nodded. “We didn’t have those positions in junior high.”

Kageyama looked down at him. “That’s why your team lost. The positions are essential in strategic battling.”

“So, the controller has to be mentally connected to everyone on the court?”

Kageyama nodded.

“Well, that’ll be hard since you don’t even want to link with me,” Shouyou said. Kageyama glared fiercely at him, making Shouyou jump back.

“What, you wanna fight?”

The frown on Kageyama’s face lightened slightly. “Yeah, let’s fight. You’ll learn better that way.”

“What,” was all Shouyou could say as Kageyama moved, knocking him off his feet. Shouyou hit the ground with a thump.

“With those reflexes, you’ll never make it on the court,” Kageyama sneered. Shouyou growled, jumping to his feet.

“You’ll see who’ll make it onto the court,” Shouyou growled, pouncing at Kageyama. Kageyama dodged, grabbing Shouyou as he flew by, tossing him onto the ground. Shouyou twisted in midair, floating before putting his feet gently back on the ground. Shouyou dodged Kageyama’s grab, going underneath it and running into Kageyama’s abdomen before pushing off the ground and into the air. He flew up, letting Kageyama drop down onto his back before Shouyou dove down onto him.

Kageyama rolled out of the way. Shouyou reversed his fall and pulled back up. Kageyama looked at him calculatingly as Shouyou dove at him again.

It went on like that for a while, a game of cat and mouse with neither completely beating the other. They stopped when practice ended and dinner began and then they went back into their room.

Shouyou lay back on his bed, hands under his head, feeling tired, but satisfied, and very happy.

“Kageyama.”

Kageyama grunted, rolling over to face his roommate.

“Let’s sneak into the gym tomorrow morning before everyone wakes up.”

“They’ll find out.”

“No they won’t,” Shouyou said excitedly in the darkness. “They’ll sleep in because it’s a Mark Day. If we get there early enough, we can even clean up after.”

Kageyama was quiet considering his proposal. Shouyou knew it was dangerous, but he was filled with adrenaline and the overwhelming urge to get better and to work with Kageyama. He was only able to hit Kageyama a total of three times in the span of their three hour practice session. And those were at the very end when Kageyama was tired, so he wasn’t sure if they really counted.

The covers rustled as Kageyama resettled himself. “Fine. We’ll sneak in tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Kageyama.”

His words didn’t get a response, but Shouyou couldn’t bring himself to care about that. He was too excited for tomorrow.


	9. Don't Hesitate, Hours Looking In The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tanaka ships kagehi, training montage, psychic powers are weird, what happened to kageyama in the past? i guess we'll never really know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't let my heart beat, folding the flash  
>  _Don't hesitate, hours looking in the past_  
>  The only love is young  
> Won't stay young, forever
> 
> You move my body waits, for energy  
> You move my body always gets the best of me  
> Always
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Made In Heights ( _Slowburn_ )

“Fuck,” Kageyama breathed as he and Shouyou stood in front of the locked gym doors. “We can’t get in.”

Shouyou paused, a hand holding his chin as he stared up. His gasped. “Yes, we can!”

“What?”

Shouyou pointed to the skylight. “We can get in through the window.”

Kageyama scoffed. “You might be able to, but I can’t.”

Shouyou frowned. Kageyama was obviously starting to close off again (and after Shouyou had gotten him to open up so much after their fight, too!). This wouldn’t do. Shouyou stared at him with determination. “I’ll carry you.”

Kageyama gave him a look. “You’re like 10 centimeters tall.”

“Wha-! That doesn’t matter!” Shouyou exclaimed, first Tsukishima, now Kageyama, what the fuck? “I can fly!”

There was a dubious look on Kageyama’s face as he looked from Shouyou to the skylight and back again. Shouyou grabbed his arm.

“Trust me, Kageyama!”

The dubious look grew deeper. “You probably couldn’t hold me…”

“I manipulate gravity,” Shouyou said. “Gravity like, controls weight or something like that.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Whatever, I’m a battler, not a physicist! That doesn’t matter.”

Kageyama frowned. “Let’s just go back to our room. If we get caught we’ll be in even more trouble than before.”

Shouyou didn’t like the fact that Kageyama’s argument was reasonable. “Yeah, but if we don’t practice, we’ll lose our match!”

“Does that really matter?”

“If we lose, you’ll never be able to play as controller! And we’ll get kicked out of the team! Yes, it’s important!”

Kageyama’s frown was deeper, like he forgot that part. Shouyou didn’t blame him. If he didn’t live with Kageyama, Sawamura’s angry face would give him amnesia too.

His mouth twitched, but he sighed a little and held his arms out to the side, his eyes closed. “Fine.”

Shouyou grinned a grin that would make the sun jealous and he ran forward, wrapping arms around Kageyama’s middle. With a deep breath, he activated his Mark, feeling it warm up against the skin of his neck and shoulder. He pushed up, floating into the air, the weightlessness making him feel giddy. Kageyama’s gasped as his feet left the ground and he kicked his legs. Shouyou giggled at his teammate’s panic. Kageyama’s arms wrapped around Shouyou, squeezing as Shouyou glided them gently to the top of the roof where the skylight was.

Shouyou had discovered it in his first week of training with Daichi, when he was still trying to figure out how to control his Mark. He had hit the roof more than once, but he’d improved leaps and bounds and could now control himself perfectly when he was in flight, as long has he focused.

Shouyou dropped them down on the roof, Kageyama didn’t let go.

“We’re safe, Kageyama,” Shouyou said with a grin. It took a few seconds as Kageyama got his bearings back, but he finally opened his eyes and stepped back, his cheeks slightly flushed from the embarrassment of having held onto Shouyou for so long. Shouyou found it kind of cute, in a weird, stomach-tingly way.

Hm. Must be indigestion.

“How are we going to get in now?” Kageyama asked, staring at the skylight. Shouyou grinned.

“I can faze through the window and open it from the inside,” Shouyou said. Kageyama grunted.

“Why didn’t you think of that before? And just open the door from the inside for me to walk through?”

Shouyou flushed. “Well, it’s not like you thought of it before now either, Bakageyama!”

To save himself from further embarrassment, Shouyou forgot the world around him and focused on the spatial planes, sliding through the window panes, and into the cool air of the gym. He felt along the window and reached the latch, flicking it. Maybe he shouldn’t have done that, he thought, as the window fell open, dropping Kageyama and smacking him straight in the face. Kageyama screeched, reaching for Shouyou, who was only able to slow their fall as he panicked and lost his grip on gravity.

They hit the ground with a thud.

They lay there in a tangled mess for a few seconds before Kageyama started pushing him off.

“What the fuck?” Shouyou was still out of sorts.

“Hurry, just get the _fuck off_ before,” Kageyama was cut off as the door opened and the lights flickered on. There was a pause.

Then snickers. Then loud guffaws.

“I’m sorry, am I _interrupting_ something?”

Shouyou wanted to die in embarrassment. Tanaka stood in the doorway, his hand planted on the wall to keep him up as he laughed at the two’s position on the ground.

Shouyou’s legs were wrapped around Kageyama’s waist, his hands holding onto Kageyama’s upper arms as Kageyama was trying to push him off, one hand holding tightly to the front of Shouyou’s shirt, the other grapping onto Shouyou’s thigh. Shouyou’s shorts were pushed up his legs.

Shouyou scrambled away, bowing, although he wasn’t sure why, to his senpai. Tanaka was still laughing.

“It’s okay, don’t be embarrassed,” Tanaka said, trying to calm down. “I was young once, too.”

“You’re only a year older than us!” Kageyama snapped before he stood ramrod straight. “I- Uh, um. Sorry, Tanaka-san!”

Tanaka put his hands on his hips, looking serious as he walked over before he laughed again, slapping Kageyama’s stiff back. “Loosen up, Kageyama-kun.”

“Of course!”

“We-We weren’t doing anything!” Shouyou exclaimed, his face still hot. “We fell through the roof! And!”

“Chill, chill,” Tanaka said, waving off Shouyou’s concern. “I know. I was just joking. You two are rivals, right?”

“Right!”

“Then there you go!”

Tanaka put the keys back in his pocket and he hummed, walking over to the storage closet where they kept the training equipment.

“T-Tanaka-san,” Kageyama started. Tanaka turned around, his humming stopping. “We’re not supposed to be in here.”

Tanaka grinned. “No, you’re not. But I figure that now is the best time to start working together for the match in two days, don’t you?”

“Yes!” Kageyama called. Tanaka turned back around, pulling out the somatic training equipment. He passed the training pads to Shouyou. Shouyou took them, already starting to slip them on.

“What we’re going to do,” Tanaka said, “is battle. Me against Hinata. Hinata needs the most practice fighting, since he’s the least experienced. Kageyama, watch us and tell us what to improve.”

Kageyama nodded. Shouyou cocked his head to the side.

“Don’t controller’s fight, too?”

Tanaka shrugged. “If they have to, but it’s the main job of the team to protect the controller. There’s a point system in battling that’s been recently added. Each position is worth a different value. Advancers are worth five points, blockers ten, controllers fifteen, and guards are 20. When you enter tournaments, your team is pitted against others in a ranking system based on how many average points you’re able to get in your games.”

“But what about the ace?” Shouyou asked. He wanted to an ace, like the Small Giant. “What is their value?”

“Five. Aces are advancers,” Tanaka said.

“But they’re so cool! Definitely cooler than controllers and guards, whatever those are. Controllers aren’t even flashy!”

“Controllers don’t need to be flashy!” Kageyama yelled, offended. “Controlling is the most important position on the field because that’s how the game is won! Through strategy! The controller keeps the other players safe by predicting and communicating what the other team is doing! Just because it’s a mental game and you can’t see it all the time doesn’t mean that it’s not cool, is what I’m trying to say!”

Kageyama breathed heavily, his cheeks flushed and his eyes bright as he talked about his position. Shouyou giggled a bit, quirking an eyebrow. “Wow, Kageyama, I didn’t know you could be so passionate.”

His cheeks pinked and he frowned. “Shut up, dumbass! At least I _know_ what I’m supposed to do.”

“Hey!”

Tanaka came between the two. “Hinata, Kageyama. If we’re going to practice, we need to go ahead and do it now before Daichi and Suga come in here and catch us.”

“Ossu!” The two first years called together, snapping to attention before glaring at one another for saying the same thing at the same time. Tanaka sighed fondly at their antics.

Tanaka went over to the wall and opened the floor pad, punching in the correct setting for their spar in order to keep the floor from breaking. With the addition and acceptance of marked people, science had also been working on inventions that would create stronger buildings and appliances so that less things would break. This mainly had come from what had happened fifteen years ago, in Russia, when a marked baby had accidently destroyed an entire town when his mark had activated.

Similar events, of course, had happened all over the world throughout history, and historians suspect that many disasters that had happened without warning had been caused by marked people how were unsure of how to control their newfound abilities. It is also suspected that many mythologies had been based off of marked people as well, as the early paleo-people would have been unable to comprehend the godlike abilities of someone who could, say, manipulate lightning or water to their will, or someone who could pass in and out of existence, or someone who could see the future.

It is also debated how many famous inventors, painters, and scientists were marked. Did Newton not only discover gravity, but control gravity? Di Vinci knew the power of flight was possible and had tried to invent a device that would allow others to fly as well. Did he know people could fly because he could? Did he know someone who had a Flying Mark? Did Karl Marx have visions of the future? These are things that are being thrown around and discussed in academia, all over the world. Marked people are pushing that _yes_ , even if you don’t want to admit it, someone important had to be marked, even if it was just because of statistics. Unmarked people didn’t want to admit that marked people had any impact on the world that wasn’t negative.

But the world of science was trying to stay objective, like they tended to do, and understand why marked people exist, how their powers worked, but those studies had been put on hold for a more pressing concern: Safety.

How could they make the world a safe place for marked and unmarked people combined? The answer, they found, laid in making sure that buildings and arenas could be made in a way that would prevent serious injury from debris. Through testing and willing experimentation, they had created something that had only really existed in science fiction.

Every marked training gym, every marked battling arena, was made of pliable material that would harden to whatever strength they needed, and work as a neutral stabilizer when exposed to the powers on the field. Of course, the machine had its flaws (it was hardly perfect, just the first version of something that exceeded the current limits of technology), but at least the scientific world was _trying_.

The floor shifted, the synthetic glossed wood tightening with a slight creak. Shouyou watched with intense curiosity as it changed. He had heard about this, but he didn’t realize it was so cool.

“Wow…” he muttered, jumping experimentally, the floor didn’t feel any different. Weird.

“Are you ready, Hinata?” Tanaka asked, pointing at Shouyou. Shouyou nodded, gulping. He knew from the little practice he’d actually been to that Tanaka was strong. Maybe lacking in a little technique, but definitely strong.

A scary look came onto Tanaka’s face as he and Shouyou circled each other, Shouyou on shaky legs. He’d seen Tanaka fight Narita, and it hadn’t been pretty (thank goodness for Narita’s regeneration ability). Shouyou was scared. He hadn’t expected Selective Bodily Enhancement to be so powerful. Shouyou didn’t know if he was ready for this.

Shouyou raised his hands in a defensive stance, resting his weight on the balls of his feet for quicker movement as he and Tanaka circled each other. Tanaka made the first move, throwing a quick punch at Shouyou’s face, who bounced out of the way, his arms trembling.

_This is battling_ , he reminded himself. _If I can’t fight Tanaka-senpai, then I’ll never be able to defeat Kageyama and become the next Small Giant_.

Tanaka continued moving forward as Shouyou backed away, tripping over himself only to find his back pressed against the force field generated from the floor to the ceiling to block off where the battle area started and ended. Tanka’s fist came at his face and Shouyou ducked, rolling under his legs, scrambling back up to his feet.

“Oi! Hinata!” Kageyama called from the sidelines. “Where’s that determination from last night? So what if Tanaka-san’s stronger than you? Are you surprised? He has experience and training. What does it matter? If you’re too afraid to fight him seriously, how will you ever fight stronger opponents in an actually battle?”

Much to his dismay, he knew that Kageyama was right. He brought his hands back up in a defensive position, bouncing. Okay, he was going to fight Tanaka.

Tanaka threw another punch. Shouyou ducked underneath it, jamming his shoulder into Tanaka’s sternum, like he’d done to Kageyama the night before. Tanaka wrapped his arm around Shouyou’s neck, pulling him away, and kicking his legs out from under him. He let go and Shouyou fell to the ground, his stomach clenching in pain from the blow. Even if he was wearing the protective gear, Tanaka was _strong_.

Tanaka kicked him again in the stomach, and Shouyou tried to curl up into a ball to keep Tanaka from doing it again. Shouyou rolled away, getting enough to distance to jump to his feet. He was still feeling queasy (for a different reason than he normally did), but he had to fight. Tanaka was in his face before he had a chance to react, punching him soundly in the jaw. Shouyou felt something pop as pain bloomed through his head. He couldn’t see straight as he scrambled back again, his hand coming up to feel his face already beginning to swell.

His eyes danced around the room, seeing Kageyama looking pensive on the sideline. He closed his eyes, trying to get his bearings back when he felt something in his brain jerk and he gasped, feeling himself slip from reality in an instinctual faze as his mark activated, seemingly on its own. He came back into reality, a distance away from where Tanaka had just shattered a hole in the floor from a punch.

“There you go, Hinata!” Tanaka shouted, looking proudly at Shouyou, who didn’t really understand what had just happened. It was like he knew what Tanaka was going to do before Tanaka had done it and his body, his mark, had worked accordingly. Something in his brain clicked and he looked at Kageyama who seemed lost himself.

“Kageyama, did you just-” Shouyou started, his eyes going wide and his battered brain took on a feeling of clarity. Kageyama breathed heavily.

“ _No_ ,” he said, cutting Shouyou off, but the word was echoed around Shouyou’s head in a way that made Kageyama’s words contrary.

 

* * *

 

Yamaguchi Tadashi gulped down his water bottle, handing it off to Tsukki who stared at him imploringly. His legs were trembling. Daichi’s training was harsher than anything he’d ever endured before, even though he’d been battling since elementary school when he’d met Tsukki and had gotten wrapped up in his and Akiteru’s world.

Despite his aching body from the conditioning, Yamaguchi stood up, carefully approaching their captain where he was standing next to Suga, wiping the back of his neck with a towel. Suga saw him first.

“Oh, Yamaguchi,” Suga said. “Do you need something?”

“Um,” Yamaguchi started, looking to the side before he looked back at the third years. “Since the three on three is in two days, I thought it would be best for me to go ahead and forge the mental like with Sawamura-san. That way we can make sure it works properly.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want it to fail during the match,” Suga said thoughtfully. “Although, I doubt you’ll have many problems. Your telepathy proficiency is second to none.”

“T-Thanks,” Yamaguchi blushed. He wasn’t used to being complimented. He had never been a starter in any of the schools he’d been enrolled in before, since his mark wasn’t powerful or well trained. “But you and Ennoshita-san are much better than I am.”

“Experience helps,” Suga laughed. He picked his water bottle up. “I’ll leave you two to it, then. I need to talk to Tanaka about something.” Suga walked away, a mischievous look in his eye and Yamaguchi noticed how Daichi’s eyes followed the controller as he walked away, how he seemed to follow the sway to Suga’s hips and _Oh_ , Yamaguchi thought. This new discovery relieved some of Yamaguchi’s own worry.

At least now he knew that Daichi wouldn’t judge him for being gay.

“So,” Daichi said, clearing his throat. “Are you ready?”

Yamaguchi nodded. “I should be asking you that, Captain.”

Daichi laughed, motioning for Yamaguchi to follow him. “If Suga’s anything to go off of, I assume you’d want to do this somewhere quieter with less distractions.”

“Uh, yes, thanks, Sawamura-san.”

The two walked farther away from the group, to the far bleachers. “This good, Yamaguchi?”

Yamaguchi nodded, feeling nervous. He’d never made a mental like with someone who wasn’t psionic, and he’d never done it with the expectation that it would hold for an entire battle. Yamaguchi was nervous. Sure, he wanted to be a controller, but he’d never had what one would call _faith_ in his abilities. Really, he was only battling because Tsukki did it, and while he enjoyed the rush and thrill he got from using his mark and conditioning his body to be stronger, faster, he didn’t necessarily have a _reason_ to battle, not like Tsukki did, even if Tsukki would never admit it.

“This is your first time, right?” Daichi asked, a comforting smile on his face. “Suga said that you’re naturally inclined to this, so I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Yamaguchi nodded, although the anxiousness created a burr in his belly, stabbing as he and Daichi sat down across from each other, knees touching.

“And if you’re worried about me seeing anything in your mind, don’t worry. What’s in your mind is in your mind, and I won’t pry.”

Yamaguchi nodded again, feeling a little less anxious. Though he knew that Daichi wouldn’t judge him for liking his best friend a little too much (since he was pretty sure that Daichi felt the same about Suga as he did for Tsukki), it was still nerve wracking to let that part of him that he’d kept hidden for so long (no one knew) be seen by someone else.

The difference between linking up with another psionic and doing it with someone who wasn’t, was that both psionics were able to have a firm grasp on the connection, both psionics were able to block the other from whatever they didn’t want them to see. It took a lot of practice for someone who wasn’t psionic to create the walls and barriers needed for this kind of thing, and it was harder for a psionic to hold their own barriers up when they were trying so hard to pry open and connect with the other person’s mind.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath, activating his mark as he placed his hand in the correct position on Daichi’s neck (pinkie beneath the eye, middle finger beneath the ear, and thumb pressed into the neck). He could already feel Daichi’s thoughts thrumming beneath his hands as he made his mind reach outside of his body, and channel through the tips of his fingers, into Daichi’s skin.

Thoughts were a solid entity, flowing through one’s body all the time, whether it be conscious thoughts ( _what am I going to eat today?_ This thought in particular would travel to the stomach and back to the mouth in less than a nanosecond to answer itself _I feel like takoyaki)_ or subconscious thoughts ( _green,pain,cold,burning,balance_ that tell your body how to move and how to behave, these are the thoughts that travel down the nerves and synapses to communicate messages that you yourself aren’t aware of). Yamaguchi could feel them all as the tendrils of his mind protruded Daichi’s thought paths, following them to the center of his being, of his soul, if you believe in that kind of thing, and that’s where Daichi’s mental links, dormant tendrils like Yamaguchi’s active ones, lie.

Daichi’s mind was a strong presence, one that sat back, swaying naturally as Yamaguchi travelled around, feeling the edges of his conscious and the dark, veiled beginning of his subconscious. Yamaguchi found one of his links, wrapping his own tendril around it and pulling it gently from its disuse, activating it to merge with his. One by one, he found them, repeating the action with everything, feeling the lights come on all over Daichi’s mind and feeling his thought paths enter the same stream as Daichi’s. Yamaguchi hooked into Daichi’s last one, and everything came alive in a blinding brilliance, shedding light on all of Daichi’s thoughts and feelings.

Yamaguchi looked around (mentally, of course), and was surprised to find that Daichi _did_ in fact have barriers, small compartments and boxes labelled things like _don’t touch_ , _not during practice, nighttime fantasies, private, not for suga’s eyes_ , and Yamaguchi had to mentally applaud his upperclassman for his well-organized brain-space.

_Wow, Sawamura-san_ , Yamaguchi thought to him, _you’re brain’s a nice place._

The centers of Daichi’s amusement warmed up, and Yamaguchi felt a thrill of happiness back. For his first time linking with someone for real, Yamaguchi was glad that he had a mind as inviting as Daichi’s. There was a twinge of nervousness as Yamaguchi realized that now he’d have to link with Tsukki, an activity he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

_Your mind’s barriers are very well maintained, Yamaguchi, I’m sure Tsukishima won’t find anything you don’t want him to_.

Yamaguchi felt a wave of comfort and then his own answering relief. _But I think Tsukki might find it weird, that I don’t share everything in my mind with him._

_I’m sure Tsukishima will understand, and he probably has things he won’t want you to see either. Linking is a very personal and intimate process._

_Yeah, thanks Sawamura-san!_

Yamaguchi opened his eyes, taking his hand away from Daichi’s neck and face, but keeping the connection alive. Now that he’d made the link, he’d have to keep it alive. His mark burned low against the skin of his neck. Daichi stood up stretching as Yamaguchi put the link to the side, creating another compartment of focus on it.

Daichi clapped him on the back, and they jogged back over to where everyone else was sitting.

“Alright guys, time for practice to resume!”

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Kageyama,” Shouyou muttered, his voice muffled and thick from his swollen face. Kageyama paused by the door, Shouyou’s dinner in his hand.

“I brought you food,” he said. Shouyou sat up in bed, looking at his roommate with an excited expression and Kageyama wanted to be sick. Not only was his cheek bruised, but so was his eye, and the mottled spots had even made their way down his neck. Kageyama didn’t even want to see what his stomach looked like from Tanaka’s kicks.

Shouyou tried to smile before wincing in pain. Kageyama felt a pull in his stomach. He shouldn’t have let that happen. It was his fault that the other boy had gotten this injured. He knew that Tanaka was experienced and Shouyou didn’t stand a chance, yet he refused to help him anyway.

Except for when his mind had reached out in spite of Kageyama’s fears. Hinata’s mind was warm and addictive, and even though Kageyama had barely brushed it, just enough to get Hinata to _move_ , he wanted to touch it again.

“Thanks,” Shouyou said. Kageyama walked over and handed the bowl to his roommate, before walking back to his own bed to lay down. Shouyou cleared his throat. “Thanks for lying for me, too.”

Kageyama took a breath. “Don’t mention it.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That you were sick to your stomach and had a really bad headache. Suga-san said that he’ll come in later to check on you.”

“But he’ll see my face!”

“I told him that you wouldn’t want that, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Do you think he’s suspicious?!”

Kageyama shrugged. “Maybe. He didn’t activate his mark, but he’s a really smart guy anyway.”

Shouyou groaned, covering his eyes with his hands before wincing as one of them came into contact with the hurt side of his face.

“Don’t do that idiot! You’ll just hurt yourself even more than you already have!”

The door clicked open. “How as Hinata hurt himself?” Suga asked, walking in, carrying a cup of something. His hazel eyes went straight to Shouyou’s bruised and swollen cheek.

“What happened?!” his maternal instincts quickly kicked in as he set the drink down, heading straight to Shouyou’s side.

“Kageyama didn’t do this!” Shouyou instantly said. “I was practicing fighting with Tanaka-san and I couldn’t dodge in time.”

“When were you practicing with Tanaka?” Suga evaluated the damage, lightly holding Shouyou’s chin as he turned his head around, looking at it from different angles. “Did you even try to _ice_ this?”

“Early this morning and no,” Shouyou answered, not wanting to lie to someone who seemed to care about him so much. He’d realized so far in his stay with the Karasuno Battle Unit that Suga wielded a power far more dangerous than empathy –a naturally kind disposition that made people immediately trust him.

Suga clucked his tongue. “This is why you should never battle without an upperclassman or coach present to supervise,” he added admonishingly, “and ice is always the _first_ thing you do when you have an injury –it keeps swelling down to a minimum and will keep the pain controlled. How bad does it hurt?”

“It’s not like we could have told anyone that we wanted to practice –Kageyama and I are banned from the gym,” Shouyou said ashamedly. “And it hurts a lot.”

Suga raised an eyebrow. “Kageyama was there with you?”

Shouyou nodded. Suga turned towards Kageyama who was watching everything with a posture of anxiousness. “Kageyama, if you were there why didn’t you help him? You know he wouldn’t be able to defeat Tanaka at his current level.”

Kageyama’s lips pinched together and his ears turned red with shame as he averted his eyes from Suga’s. Shouyou leaped in instantly. “No! Kageyama did help me! When Tanaka was about to use some finishing move, I felt something tug in my head and then my body moved out of the way. He kept me safe for the rest of the battle.”

“Is that true, Kageyama?” Suga asked. Kageyama frowned even deeper, confirming for Shouyou that that was _definitely_ what happened. Kageyama had instinctually tried to link with him, and Shouyou felt a wave of giddiness hit him and he was suddenly immensely thankful for the fact that he couldn’t smile because his face was hurt. Suga sighed at Kageyama’s unwillingness to answer, although Shouyou could tell in his eyes that Suga understood what Kageyama had done.

“Fine,” Suga said. “I’ll practice with you three tomorrow morning. It’ll be the last time you get to before the match on Wednesday, you know.”

“Really?” Shouyou asked with excitement. Though he’d never tell Kageyama, he was really curious to see how two psionics would battle. Suga nodded with a smile.

“Thank you, Suga-san!” Kageyama said, standing up to bow, quickly sitting down again. Shouyou inwardly laughed at the awkwardness of it. Kageyama really had _no idea_ how to interact with people. It was kind of adorable, in a totally not-adorable Kageyama way.

Suga did chuckle a bit, causing Kageyama to light up in a blush. “You’re welcome, Kageyama,” he stood up. “I’ll come back with some ice later tonight after everyone else has gone to bed, since I’m assuming you don’t want other people to know about your injury,” he was met with nods. Suga picked up the discarded tea and handed it to Shouyou. “I made you peppermint tea, since I was told you had a headache and a stomachache. Oh, and Kageyama, I’d like to let you know that I am fully expecting you to link with Hinata before tomorrow morning. We have a limited amount of practice time.”

“I understand,” Kageyama said, the words seeming to have to fight through his teeth to come out. Suga smiled angelically at him before exiting the room.

 

* * *

 

“Whoa, Kageyama, come look at my face!” Shouyou said excitedly, although he really shouldn’t be excited. Kageyama walked into their bathroom, his face instantly souring as he saw the swollen flesh of Shouyou’s cheek and jaw, mottled with bruises. “It looks _way_ worse than it did yesterday.”

Kageyama nodded. “What did you expect, dumbass? And why do you sound so happy about this?”

“It’s my first battle wound!” Shouyou said like it was something to be proud of (to him it was). Kageyama still looked a little put off.

“Tanaka-san shouldn’t have hit you so hard.”

“If he pulls his punches I’d never get any better.”

“Then you need to learn how to dodge,” Kageyama snapped out his hand, grabbing Shouyou’s head. “If you can’t dodge this, there’s no way you’ll survive going out onto the court.”

Shouyou turned back to the mirror, lifting his shirt to look at his bruised stomach and sides. “These are kind of sore. And my face hurts when I talk.”

“Of course it does, dumbass,” Kageyama said with a sigh, grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste as he started to go about his morning routine. It was four, so they had three hours to practice before they needed to clean up and pretend they were never in the gym. Tanaka had said that he would meet them there to spare them from sneaking in again. Shouyou was glad his face was swollen and bruised, because just thinking about the situation he and Kageyama had been found in made embarrassment crawl over his face in varying shades of red.

Kageyama turned to Shouyou. “Since I didn’t link with you last night, we need to do it now before we meet with Suga-san and Tanaka-san.”

He looked all business, and Shouyou could see from the guarded look in his eyes that Kageyama really didn’t want to do this. Shouyou wasn’t sure what kind of trauma had happened to make him afraid, why he was so angry when he was called king, but Shouyou figured what happened then doesn’t really matter anyway. Kageyama’s here now, at Karasuno, with Shouyou. Shouyou put a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder, ready to tell Kageyama exactly that, when Kageyama’s hand sped out, connecting to Shouyou’s neck, ear and eye.

Almost immediately, there was a cold, spiky _thing_ reaching into his body, burning along ever single pathway into his head and Shouyou almost collapsed. This was _not_ what he’d gone through with Suga. Shouyou started to shiver, his mind perceiving the presence of _Kageyama_ as physical cold. Kageyama stared into Shouyou’s eyes and Shouyou’s mark started to burn, painfully hot, against his skin.

Shouyou closed his eyes, meaning to will away the discomfort.

Shouyou had never been sucked into his own mind before.

His mind was warm and cluttered and filled with waving tendrils, all of his memories and feelings and thoughts floating around like a picture show. It was active, disorganized. And there was Kageyama, at least, his thought presence, trying to sort through all of the scattered information he was getting, looking for something.

_Oi! Stop it! You’re hurting me!_ Shouyou called out to Thought-Kageyama. Thought-Kageyama’s attention turned to him, and he felt a slap of something like surprise and then irritation.

_Go away, I’m trying to work_ , was the message Shouyou got. Shouyou sent a wave of anger to him.

_No, not until you stop hurting me._

_Look, I don’t care about your thoughts. Just let me rush through this part so I can get to your connective links._

_That’s rude! Care about my thoughts!_

_That’s not the point, dumbass!_

Shouyou moved closer to Thought-Kageyama. _I’m gonna kick you out if you keep this up,_ he sent, right as Kageyama connected to some spindly tendril, and Shouyou felt Kageyama’s fear as if it was his own before a rush of images powered into his mind.

_He was hit. He was hit. He was alone and no one would help him. He was betrayed, or had he betrayed? He didn’t know. And there was Kindaichi’s back and Kunimi’s blank stare as they watched him get shredded by that one kid who’s face he never saw in the one move he never predicted and then there was nothing and he was falling and –_

Thought-Kageyama pulled him away from it. Shouyou felt something cold and he wasn’t sure what is, and things clicked for him. Kageyama’s hesitancy. Kageyama’s distrust. Kageyama’s social ineptness.

The tendril’s flared as Kageyama drug them from their sleep and Shouyou was back in his body, in the real world, and Kageyama was removing his hand, turning away and Shouyou felt like he couldn’t let him do that, ever. Kageyama couldn’t pull away.

“Kageyama,” Shouyou said, and he hated the lilt of desperation in his voice.

“Don’t say anything,” Kageyama said abruptly. “Get finished getting ready, I’ll see you in the gym.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is a really really late update, like almost an entire month, but this was a devil to write and there were two things i had planned that i didn't end up writing that will be in the next chapter, because i didn't want to make this too long. the next chapter will be the three on three! i promise! it will be! and after that, we'll be out of the exposition and into a lot more plot. and romance. and maybe smut ~who knows~


	10. I Think We're Going Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tsukki isn't good with emotions, but yamaguchi knows him pretty well, tanaka ships kagehina and suga shows his badassery once again, the three on three ends with joy... or does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _I think we're going somewhere._  
>  We're on to something good here.  
> Out of mind, out of state.  
> Trying to keep my head on straight.  
> I think we're going somewhere.  
> We're on to something good here.  
> Adversity, we get around it.  
> Searched for joy, in you I found it.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Relient K ( _Pressing On_ )

Tadashi was nervous. That wasn’t really a new feeling for him, since he was almost always uncomfortable, but he was _very_ nervous. He didn’t want to make a mental link with Tsukki, because that would mean Tsukki would have access to all of his emotions, and in return Tadashi would have all of Tsukki’s at his disposal. While he was mostly confident that he could hide his feelings from Tsukki, he wasn’t sure that Tsukki could hide his from Tadashi –which meant Tadashi was both afraid that Tsukki would like him back (even in his fantasies, he never thought that was possible) or he would find out that Tsukki didn’t like him that way at all.

Both of those would mean trouble for Tadashi, he was sure of it.

Tsukki walked out of their shared bathroom, dressed in a loose white t-shirt and the dinosaur print pajama pants Tadashi had bought him the year before. Tadashi felt his heart thump knowing Tsukki liked the gift enough to bring it to school with them were someone could potentially see his childish obsession.

“Isn’t it so weird that Hinata wasn’t at dinner tonight?” Tadashi started rambling, like he always did. _God, I’m so lame_. “I mean, I know that Kageyama said he was sick, but I don’t believe it –he was fine yesterday. I bet they were practicing and did something stupid, like-”

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukki said, sitting at his desk, spinning around to face Tadashi. He looked slightly troubled. “I saw you link with Sawamura today at practice.” At this point in his life, Tadashi was well-versed in the language of Tsukki, so he could tell what Tsukki meant. _Why did you link with him first? Why wasn’t it me? We’ve known each other for so long, why haven’t you linked with me at_ all _?_

“Yeah,” Tadashi said, scratching at the curling mark on his neck. It was itching, the burn having faded to the background, as it was still in use. He could feel Daichi’s presence in the back of his mind. “I thought it would be good to practice on someone with more experience in the linking process since I’ve never done it before.”

Tsukki grunted, his eyes narrowing slightly before he sighed. “You don’t have to be afraid to link with me.”

“I’m not!” Tadashi lied. “It’s not that I’m afraid of linking with _you_ , per se… I just don’t want to embarrass myself by messing up or accidentally hurt your psyche.”

“Your mark should make linking easy for you. I know you have an aptitude for it.”

“You know I have a nervous nature, Tsukki,” Tadashi said, adding a small whine to Tsukki’s name. Tsukki’s head bobbed slightly, as if conceding to that point. Tadashi sighed, closing his eyes and ducking his head. He opened one of them to look at his friend. “Even so, I guess I should go ahead and link with you now, huh?”

Tsukki’s lips quirked slightly as he got off of the chair and sat down on Tadashi’s bed next to him. Tsukki bared his neck. Tadashi took in a deep breath, before reaching out his hand to Tsukki, placing his fingers in the correct position for the link to begin. Like he had with Daichi, he focused on his mind’s energy, reaching tendrils down his arm and through his fingers before shooting them into Tsukki’s thought paths.

His familiarity with Tsukki seemed to make the process easier. Even though he’d never linked with Tsukki or tried to look in his head before (he’d never even used his mark against Tsukki, not really), Tsukki was the person Tadashi knew the best. He’d be able to tell Tsukki’s mind and body from anyone’s in a heartbeat.

He latched onto a stray thought ( _battling is utterly pointless_ ) and rode it up to Tsukki’s psyche. Similarly to Daichi, Tsukki’s mind was compartmentalized, although to a much higher degree. Everything was tidy, to the point where Tadashi didn’t even have to try and find Tsukki’s dormant connectors. They were right there, in plain sight. Tadashi tugged at one of them, waking it from its slumber in order to connect it to his. It jerked back at the foreign contact ( _of course Tsukki’s mind would be guarded and wary_ , Tadashi thought drily), but Tadashi let his presence flow through Tsukki’s mind, assuring and calm.

The tendril seemed to hesitate before allowing Tadashi to grab it again.

After that, it was even easier to meld his mind to Tsukki’s as Tsukki’s connections quickly warmed up to Tadashi’s familiar presence. Tadashi’s final link was completed even faster than it had been with Daichi. Tsukki’s mind’s connective passages woke up completely, and his entire mind seemed to brighten with color. Tadashi looked around (metaphorically, of course). Tsukki’s mind was very organized, with fast moving transits for his many thoughts (Tsukki was _very_ intelligent after all).

_Yamaguchi_ , Tsukki’s voice came from everywhere within them both. _Do you really have to do that when you’re in my_ head _?_

_Sorry, Tsukki!_ Tadashi laughed inwardly and felt the gentle affection from Tsukki in return. _That went even better than it did with Sawamura._ Tadashi pulled out of Tsukki’s mind, lest he accidentally thinks something that would give him away. He kept the link alive, but on the backburners of his mind, where he had already placed Daichi’s. He blinked as his eyes came back into focus after the meditative like state he went into in order to forge mental links with people.

“That was really easy, Tsukki!” Tadashi said with a bright smile, his nose scrunching in pleasure. Tsukki sniffed, as if offended that his mind was so easy to break into. Tadashi laughed as he probed at their bond, understanding that that was _exactly_ what Tsukki was thinking. Tadashi chuckled at his discovery.

“It’s just because it’s you,” Tsukki said, averting his eyes from Yamaguchi, his mouth turned down.

Tadashi felt heat crawl across his cheeks, although he knew that Tsukki didn’t mean that in the way Tadashi wanted. “I have known you for so long, I guess it’d be weird if I couldn’t make my way around that mind of yours.”

Tsukki stood up, not deigning to respond, as he went to lie on his bed. Tadashi hummed, sitting up against the wall. “I wonder how Kageyama will do when he has to link with you…”

Tsukki snorted. “As if I’d let that selfish king into my mind,” he huffed. “Turn out the lights, Yamaguchi. Let’s go to sleep.”

 

* * *

 

The doors to the gym were already opened when Kageyama and Shouyou snuck in at four in the morning. Tanaka was stretching while Suga was laying on the ground, a large mug of coffee next to him, his arm over his eyes. Tanaka looked up as Kageyama and Hinata came in.

“Ah, if it isn’t our two lovebirds –get it? Lovebirds? Because we’re crows?” Tanaka laughed at his own joke as sardonic laughter came from Suga, who didn’t get up off of the floor. Tanaka poked the third year with his toe, dodging as Suga’s arm shot out to smack at him. “Come on, princess. It’s time to work.”

“Is Suga okay?” Hinata asked, looking worriedly down at him. Suga grumbled something unintelligible.

“He’s always like this in the mornings,” Tanaka explained dismissively. “It was worse last year, because Coach Ukai made us get up so fucking early.”

“I hate my life,” Suga groaned reaching forlornly for his coffee. Kageyama pushed it over to him, a confused scowl on his face. Suga murmured appreciatively, lifting his head enough to take a large gulp of it before flopping back down on the floor. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before he opened them again and started standing up. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Are you sure? Because we can wait, if you need to,” Tanaka said, and Shouyou was struck with the grave impression that he might get along with Tsukishima one day. Suga gave Tanaka a look that instantly made him back off, trying to shrug off the disapproval. Shouyou was awestruck. Suga was _powerful_.

Suga rubbed his eyes, yawning widely before his mouth settled into his normal soft smile. Shouyou instantly felt at home and was overcome with the urge to hug him. The feeling made him a little nervous, because that probably wasn’t appropriate. Suga’s eyes flicked down at him and his smile broadened a little. Shouyou was a little confused until he remembered that Suga’s mark was empathy, which allowed him to feel other people’s emotions. Shouyou’s face flushed slightly and he fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt. Suga chuckled lightly.

“Right, so, I was thinking about what we could do to train today, since yesterday’s practice obviously wasn’t regulated well,” Suga made a gesture to Shouyou’s face while Tanaka looked down at the ground with guilt.

“I may have hit a little too hard,” Tanaka muttered.

“Mhmm,” Suga went on. “So, while I agree that it’s necessary for Hinata to learn how to fight properly with the match today, it’s also important to note that he’s severely inexperienced compared to the rest of the team.”

“S-Sorry,” Shouyou said, his face flushing with embarrassment.

“That’s nothing to be sorry about,” Suga said, putting a hand on his shoulder for comfort. “What’s most important right now is for Hinata to understand what it’s like to fight with someone directing him from inside his head. This is why I propose that this morning we practice that. I will guide Tanaka and Kageyama will guide Hinata.”

“Is that why you had us link up before we came?” Kageyama asked a little sourly.

“Yes, and because you’d have to link with him before the match this afternoon or neither of you would be allowed to join our battle unit.”

“Right,” Kageyama said quickly, obviously not wanting to get kicked out. Shouyou snickered, undeterred by the look Kageyama sent his way.

Suga turned to Shouyou. “So, what was linking with Kageyama like?”

“It was awful,” Shouyou responded without a pause. “He didn’t care about my thoughts at all,” his mouth twisted into a frown, “he even said so. He was nowhere as nice as you were.”

Kageyama let out a noise that was somewhere between a roar and a choking cat before he reached for Shouyou’s head, squeezing his skull hard.

“Ow ow ow!” Shouyou screeched, going still as he tried to figure out what to do.

“Don’t say shit like that to Suga, dumbass!” Kageyama hiss-growled.

“Now, now, let’s all calm down,” Suga said, calmly prying the two apart while Tanaka snickered at their antics. Kageyama and Shouyou refused to look at each other. “Since you two have so much energy, why don’t we go ahead and start practicing? Tanaka, lead them through some stretches, and I’ll turn on the barriers so we don’t break anything.”

After everyone was sufficiently stretched, and the technology set to the correct setting for their battle, they set about the battle.

“Remember, let’s not hurt each other too bad, okay?” Suga asked with a smile as he stretched his arm over his head. Tanaka cracked his knuckles menacingly, making Shouyou take an involuntary step back, his back hitting into Kageyama who pushed him away roughly. Their bond was alive, and his head was teeming with _Kageyama_. He assumed it was the same way for the psionic, but he wasn’t sure. Kageyama’s presence was cold and foreign, but it wasn’t necessarily bad, now that Shouyou was getting used to it.

“Ready?” Suga asked. Tanaka fell naturally into a fighting stance, his body loose and strong. Shouyou took up a stance as well, but he felt inferior –there was no way he’d ever be able to have that strong aura Tanaka did. He felt something like exasperation flicker through his head as Kageyama put a hand on his shoulder, as if to reassure him (and then there was that warm feeling traveling quickly through his body) before Kageyama pulled away quickly, as if he was burned.

“Go!” Suga said and Shouyou saw his mark become more defined as more scrawling patterns began to curve from the ovular mark down under Suga’s eyes before falling down his jaw onto his neck. Tanaka attacked at the same time, his muscles rippling visibly under his skin as he manipulated their strength to his will. There was a jolt in Shouyou’s head and he didn’t have to hear Kageyama to understand what it meant as he automatically fazed, allowing Tanaka to fly through the space he used to occupy before he came back into existence. Shouyou activated his mark, feeling it warm against his skin and the weightlessness he was used to came back over his sense of being.

Tanaka didn’t waste any time as he attacked again and Shouyou fazed again to get out of the way. This happened a few more times before he didn’t even need Kageyama’s push to understand how to get out of the way. Tanaka’s frustration grew, Shouyou could see it on his face, as he tried to land a hit.

There was a certain rhythm to his movements, Shouyou noticed, and he learned that before he punched, Tanaka stepped forward with his right foot twice, tapping before actually moving his weight forward.

Tanaka dove at Shouyou, and just as Shouyou was about to faze again, there was a snap in his head and his senses were overloaded with emotion. There was a thud behind him, but he didn’t have to look (actually, he didn’t really have the capacity as he grappled with Tanaka on the floor) to know it was Kageyama. Images were filtering through his head quickly of people he didn’t know, but they were pulling vast emotional responses from him.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he heard Kageyama groan, and his throat seemed choked.

Shouyou kicked Tanaka repeatedly in the stomach, before he fazed through the other boy, trying to keep his mind away from Kageyama’s pain.

“What the fuck is this?” Kageyama grounded out through his teeth. Suga’s eyes were closed and his face was pained as he said,

“It doesn’t really have a name, but I call it Empathic Inundation.”

“That doesn’t mean,” Kageyama’s voice cracked, “that doesn’t mean shit to me.”

“I’ll explain it after we win the battle.”

“Like hell you will,” Kageyama seemed to sob a bit. “I’ll defeat you.” Kageyama seemed to pull himself together, closing his eyes as he stood up.

“Shoving your emotions down isn’t a very healthy coping mechanism, Kageyama,” Suga said worriedly.

“And what else am I supposed to do? Feel them and lose?”

“Feel them and _learn_ ,” Suga responded. Kageyama growled, and Shouyou felt the urge to attack Suga to distract him and make him stop doing whatever he was doing to Kageyama, because Shouyou saw the redness on Kageyama’s cheeks and knew that he was trying to stop crying.

Tanaka’s fist made contact with Shouyou’s jaw, the same one that was already injured, making Shouyou gasp out loud at the contact, and he _really_ felt something crack this time. His hand flew to his face as he cleared the dancing spots away from his vision. Tanaka was already attacking again, not wasting a second. Shouyou fazed again, before he felt the feeling of _up_ and up he went, fazing back into existence above Tanaka. He came down hard, wrapping his legs around Tanaka’s neck before twisting it, making Tanaka fall onto the floor as he tried to keep his neck from being injured.

Shouyou wasn’t really sure where that move came from, but he wasn’t about to start asking questions when this was the first time he actually had the upper hand against Tanaka. Shouyou quickly reached for Tanaka’s arm, twisting his wrist behind him as he kept his knee on Tanaka’s back.

This kept Tanaka still for about two seconds before Tanaka used his greater mass to flip them over, trapping Shouyou beneath him as he wrapped his legs around Shouyou’s shoulder joint, pulling his arm tight in the classic judo move Shouyou only thought he’d experience in movies.

Shouyou fazed again, only this time feeling the skin around his mark burn and a tired achiness in his bones, telling him he was going over his limit. Fazing was hard, and really took a lot out of him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep that up for long.

As he came back into existence, Shouyou took off into the air, speeding at Suga. The empath gasped a little, turning around to try and avoid him, but he was too slow, and all of Shouyou slammed into him, knocking him into the ground. Shouyou got him in a hold, twisting Suga’s arms.

“Suga!” he heard Tanaka yell before he was knocked to the ground by Tanaka’s weight. Shouyou screeched as he felt the air leave his body and his stomach get pounded by Tanaka’s fist, when all of a sudden the weight on him left, and he was in the air again. He saw Kageyama was looking up at him, when Kageyama’s eyes flicked toward Tanaka and Shouyou realized what Kageyama wanted him to do.

Their communication lasted only for a split second before Shouyou was rocketing down and slamming into Tanaka, smashing the somatic type into the ground. Kageyama marched over to Suga his eyes squinted as tears fell down his cheeks. He grabbed Suga by the arm and put him into a hold as Shouyou sat on top of a stunned Tanaka.

“Do we win?” Kageyama asked the back of Suga’s head. Suga sighed, his shoulders slumping, allowing his mark to creep back up his face and return to its simple ovular shape.

“I guess so,” he acquiesced. Kageyama let him go and Shouyou scrambled to stand up, before tripping over his feet as his legs turned to jelly. Kageyama caught him by the arm, helping keep him upright. Shouyou looked at the ground, only now noticing the blood staining the front of his shirt, dripping on the floor. He reached up, touching his nose, his hand coming back went and red.

“Oh man,” he said. “That looks pretty bad.”

“No shit, dumbass,” Kageyama said, looking vaguely disgusted as some Shouyou-blood dripped onto his sneakers.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Suga took Shouyou’s face gently in his hands, holding his nose closed. Suga looked down at where Tanaka was holding his head in his hands, probably in pain from getting smashed into the ground.

“Tanaka, make sure you clean up the blood. We don’t want Daichi to know we were in here, Kageyama, link with Tanaka. Hinata and I will be back soon.”

 

* * *

 

“Oh my god, Hinata, what happened to your _face_?” Yamaguchi asked, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised as he took in the large, swollen bruise along Shouyou’s jaw. Shouyou flushed a bit, although you couldn’t really see it.

Tsukishima snorted. “Probably did something to piss off the king.”

Kageyama stiffened, but Shouyou jumped in to defend him before Kageyama could make things worse for himself. “Kageyama may be an asshole, but he’d never do something like that!”

Kageyama stared down at Shouyou like he’d grown a second head. Shouyou crossed his arms, looking away in embarrassment. “Well, you didn’t.”

“I know, that dumbass!” Kageyama paused, his frown deepening. “You didn’t have to defend me.”

“So? We’re a team now,” Shouyou said, glancing up at Kageyama through his eyelashes. Kageyama’s cheeks were dusted with pink, but he was still scowling. Shouyou rolled his eyes. Even though they’d won that morning against Suga and Tanaka, Kageyama was still acting like he didn’t want to be around Shouyou. Whatever.

Daichi clapped his hands from where he’d been talking to Takeda, calling attention to himself.

“Alright, guys. It’s time for the three on three,” he turned to Yamaguchi and Kageyama. “I hope the two of you are prepared and connected sufficiently to your partners.” The two psionics nodded, although they were both apprehensive. Daichi smiled encouragingly at them. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll all be fine,” he looked over his shoulder. “Oi! Suga, can you get the floor set up?”

“Sure thing, Daichi,” Suga responded, already heading towards the panel on the wall. As Suga programmed the barriers, Shouyou could already feel the tension in the air rising as Daichi walked over to join Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Tanaka put his hands on Shouyou’s and Kageyama’s shoulders, squeezing them in that comforting senpai way of his.

“You two ready for this?” Tanaka asked with a maniacal grin. Shouyou shook his head before thinking better of it and nodding in what he thought was a brave manner. Kageyama shrugged. Tanaka sighed. “Well, even if you aren’t ready for this, we have to fight this battle anyway. But don’t worry! Your senpai will protect you!”

“Senpai,” Shouyou said, giddy with excitement to see his senpai in action and not in action at him. Kageyama leaned away from Tanaka, as if the idea of a doting senpai wasn’t in his knowledge bank. Tanaka held his nose up at Shouyou’s praise and doting look.

“The three on three rules are simple,” Daichi said as the floor around them sunk down, allowing the court to raise above it, “If you can knock off more than half of the opposing team, then you win. If you can’t, then you lose. We won’t be bothering with the point system, since this isn’t a tournament. This’ll just be a simple battle, alright? Yamaguchi, Kageyama, you two ready?” the psionics nodded. “Hinata, Tsukishima, and Tanaka?” the other three nodded as well. Daichi clapped his hands, looking over at Suga. “On your mark?”

Suga smiled at them, putting a whistle to his lips. There was a pause and Shouyou almost burst from the tension before the shrill sound rang out and the field descended into chaos. Tanaka immediately went after Tsukishima, who pushed up his glasses as he activated his mark, there was a blur as two more Tsukishimas appeared on the field.

Shouyou went after Daichi, but he was apprehended by another Tsukishima. Shouyou ducked as the Tsukishima halfheartedly swung at him and caught that Tsukishima by the waist, tackling it to the ground. It poofed out of existence. He looked around for Daichi, seeing him appear behind Tanaka, gripping Tanaka by the leg and knocking him on his back. Another Tsukishima came at Shouyou. Shouyou punched this one in the face until it too disappeared.

He felt exasperation filter over the bond with Kageyama in his mind, and he looked around as he sent a flying kick to a Tsukishima’s jaw, destroying it, only to see Kageyama trying to get to Yamaguchi, who was seemingly more and more panicked as Kageyama got closer. Shouyou had just enough time to see Kageyama rush Yamaguchi, throwing him off of the court and onto the mats below before he was attacked by another group of Tsukishimas.

As Shouyou cleared out that round of Tsukishimas, he saw Daichi grappling with Tanaka, Shouyou saw the yellow glow of Daichi’s mark as it creeped up his neck and onto his jawbones, curling under his lip. Daichi teleported away from Tanaka, grabbing a Tsukishima who began struggling as he was teleported and dropped onto the ground. Tanaka leapt out of the way and the Tsukishima faded out of existence.

Shouyou felt a tug in his head as he fazed, and once again, he found himself coming back to existence in the air, his mark burning hot on his skin. Shouyou’s eyes searched the field and he felt more than heard Kageyama’s insistence – _I’ve already defeated their controller, let’s just end the battle quickly. Get rid of the real Tsukishima_ –and within a nanosecond of those thoughts being conveyed, Shouyou shot down, like he had when he’d won against Tanaka during their battle that morning, knocking into a Tsukishima. The clones around the court dissipated. Shouyou slammed into Tsukishima before he grabbed him, rocketing into the air again.

“What the?”

“Oh? I thought someone so tall would be used to height,” Shouyou sneered, not feeling guilty in the slightest because he’d been putting up with short jokes for the past two weeks, and he’d had it. Tsukishima kicked and struggled, clenching as Shouyou threw him onto the mats. There was a second thud as Tanaka was knocked off of the court as well. Tanaka sat up, rubbing his bleeding forehead.

Shouyou flew back onto the battlefield, meeting clapping from the crowd observing the battle.

“Good job!” Daichi said with a smile, his arms and cheek bruised, though not nearly as bad as Shouyou’s. “Looks like you two win and get to keep your spots in the battle unit. I’m really impressed with your teamwork today.”

There was a squeal as the barriers went down and Takeda rushed onto the court. “I might not know much about battling or marks, but what I saw you two do out there was amazing –I don’t think that I’ve ever seen two battlers so reactive to each other.”

“Takeda’s right,” Suga said, walking over as well to congratulate them. “Though it might have something to do with Hinata’s highly reacted mind, the communication out there was flawless, especially at the end when you guys took out Tsukishima.”

Tsukishima snorted as he and Yamaguchi walked over to where the team was gathering.

“So Kageyama and I really get to stay on the team?” Shouyou asked. Daichi smiled.

“Of course, you guys winning and becoming a team was the deal, right?” Daichi turned to face the entire team. “Let’s welcome our full-fledged recruits to the Karasuno Battle Unit!”

“Ossu!” the team responded loudly, as they turned to the first years and hollered: “Welcome!”

Shouyou wanted to leap with joy. This was it, he was finally on his way to becoming the next Small Giant. He was finally on his way to becoming the strongest battler in all of Japan, and maybe even all of the world. He was finally on his way, at least he would be, if the world was a better place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just trying to get this out, so i'll go back and edit it later. this chapter is probably a load of poop, but i tried my best. writer's block is really awful and whoever thought it was a good idea and programmed it into the human brain needs to be punished honestly.


	11. Amis et Amile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime-centric chapter. 
> 
> lots of things are revealed! have fun with both aobajousai and the most illegal organization in japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "[A] free play of human affection that makes itself felt in the incidents of a great friendship, a friendship pure and generous, pushed to a sort of passionate exaltation, and more than faithful unto death." 
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Walter Pater (Commentary on _L'amitie de Amis et Amile_ )

Hajime’s hand was wrapped around Oikawa’s waist as he helped Oikawa limp to the gym for practice. Even though Oikawa would be down for another week at least (thanks to the miracles of healing marks, he’d had a very speedy recovery), but the asshole still wanted to watch to make sure the unit was where he wanted them to be. Hajime raised his foot and kicked open the doors, quickly entering before they could slam shut on him again.

“Iwa-chan! Be more careful! I could have been hit!”

Hajime heaved a suffering sigh, lowering Oikawa down onto one of the benches. “Shut up, Shitkawa. Elevate your leg.” He gently helped raise Oikawa’s leg to alleviate the pressure on his broken hip bone. Oikawa stuck his tongue out at Hajime and crossed his arms with a pout.

“Iwa-chan is so confusing one minute you call me names and the next you’re taking care of me,” he turned to Matsukawa. “Mattsun! Isn’t Iwa-chan so confusing?”

Matsukawa grinned and Hajime wanted to punch himself in the face. “You’re right, Oikawa. Iwaizumi is _so_ confusing. I mean, he _does_ kind of act like a little boy with a crush.” Hanamaki chose that exact moment to walk over.

“Who’s a little boy with a crush? Iwaizumi?” Hanamaki asked, making the situation even worse for Hajime. Hajime pushed himself away from Oikawa (who was giggling with that infuriating _blush_ on his cheeks, the bastard).

“Shut your mouths. Literally no one has a crush, okay.”

Hanamaki and Matsukawa chuckled to each other while Hanamaki slung an arm around Hajime’s shoulders. “It’s okay, Iwaizumi. We won’t judge you for having a crush on Oikawa.”

“Yeah,” Matsukawa agreed, putting a hand to his chin. “No matter how you look at it, Oikawa’s a pretty man.”

“Oh, _Mattsun_ ,” Oikawa said with a fake swoon.

“I’m leaving,” Hajime said, quickly extracting himself from the situation with a grimace. He walked purposefully over to the court, where the rest of the battle unit was starting to stretch. Kindaichi looked up from where he had Kunimi bent over in a stretch.  

“Oh, Iwaizumi,” Kindaichi greeted. “Are you going to battle me and Kunimi today?”

Hajime nodded as he lifted up his foot, grabbing it and pulling it behind him to stretch his calves. “Yeah. Are you two ready?” He bent down, holding onto his ankles, feeling a nice burn in his back.

Kunimi shrugged as he sat up, switching places with Kindaichi to push him into the ground. “I guess,” Kunimi said, his face dry and uncaring. “You’re probably going to win.”

“Sure I will, if you go into the fight thinking that,” Hajime told him. Kunimi shrugged again.

“Thanks for the advice,” Kindaichi sounded genuinely grateful. Hajime stifled the quirk in his lips. He liked the little dork. Hajime turned to find Yahaba, who was close by.

“Yahaba,” he called, making the other controller look up from his stretch. “Are you ready for the battle yet?” Yahaba stood up straight and pulled his arms over his head to pop his back. Hajime watched a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face, hinting at Yahaba’s nervousness. It was hard for him to have to sub in for Oikawa all of a sudden, especially when Oikawa was not only the captain but arguably the best controller in the prefecture. Though he’d never say it to Oikawa’s face (unless he _really_ needed to hear it), Oikawa was a very essential part of the team’s dynamic in battle.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Yahaba commented, breathing out through his nose, walking over to where Hajime was standing next to Kindaichi and Kunimi. Kindaichi put a hand on Yahaba’s shoulder, as if in comfort.

Today, they would be having a practice battle: the three of them against Hajime, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa. Without Oikawa’s sense of strategy to guide them and his strong offensive abilities, Hajime knew that they would have to strengthen the two first years and their fill-in controller as soon and as much as possible. They didn’t have the time to waste on mark-based control practices. It was much more essential to take care of their short-comings through direct practice in a real battle situation.

After stretching a bit more, Hajime called the practice to begin, clicking on the force field. He and the other two third years lined up across from Yahaba, Kindaichi, and Kunimi. He tossed the remote to control the battle area to Watari who was watching from the sidelines, with the job of intervening in case someone got seriously injured.

The two teams bowed to each other and Watari blew the whistle, signifying start of the battle.

Immediately, the third years sprang into action, as Matsukawa waved his arms, summoning up a blizzard by changing the water vapor in the air into a snow storm, creating a cover for Hajime and Hanamaki.

In response, Kunimi hurriedly drew a shield for himself and his teammates to protect them from the blistering snow. Yahaba cast out his mind, searching for the presences of his enemies, but he was only able to find Hajime’s mind. He cursed.

“Looks like Hanamaki’s travelling through the shadows again,” Yahaba said before he was grabbed and dragged away from the shelter, a dark, cold blade held against his neck. Yahaba rolled out of the way as Hanamaki swung at him. _This is so unfair_ , Yahaba thought, as he tried to dodge Hanamaki’s expert blows, _how am I supposed to fight against someone who can create weapons out of_ shadows. He tried to run away, but he couldn’t see more than a foot ahead of him because of the snow. He shivered from the chill, already starting to lose the feeling in his feet. Hanamaki appeared underneath him, halfway in and out of his shadow, before yanking Yahaba down on the ground, this time forming a cudgel out of the available shadows to knock the breath from Yahaba’s lungs.

Yahaba struggled to get away, his mind running too fast for him to focus enough to use his own ability. An animated bird flew out of nowhere, ramming into Hanamaki’s face. Hanamaki let go, swinging his cudgel to hit and kill the animated bird. Yahaba used this chance to escape and focus his mind. He reached out again to look for Matsukawa or Iwaizumi. There was a ping against his mind as he found Matsukawa close by. Yahaba grinned. With Matsukawa focused on keeping the snow storm up, there would be no problem sneaking up on him.

When Matsukawa had started the blizzard and Hajime activated his mark, his world came alive in a flurry of waves and particles, vibrations flooding around his senses. He pulled the vibrations to himself, heating the air around him to stay warm in the snow. There was no point in freezing along with the others in Matsukawa’s storm, and what was the point of having a Vibration Manipulation Mark if he didn’t use it. He focused on searching for life within the storm, following the vibrations of Kindaichi’s and Kunimi’s breaths to find them. He knew that Hanamaki would go for Yahaba, since Yahaba couldn’t really fight back and Hanamaki enjoyed that kind of thing. Sadistic bastard. Probably why he and Oikawa got along so well.

As he approached them, Hajime focused on the vibrations emitting for his body, cancelling out the sound of his footsteps to keep his approach a secret. He had to stifle a laugh as he saw that Kunimi had created a shelter and was sitting underneath it, probably warm, while Kindaichi patrolled around it, shivering and cursing. Hajime snuck behind Kindaichi, completely silent as he followed him around to the side of the shelter. Hajime put his hand close to it and sent a fast, hard stream of vibrations into the side, making it shudder and collapse.

“Damn,” Kunimi cursed, although it sounded more annoyed than surprised. The shelter dissolved and Kunimi stood up, his hand already in the air with his fingers glowing as he began to draw something else. The edge of Hajime’s mouth quirked up. As if he was going to allow Kunimi that much time. Hajime’s hand shot out and his fingers curled as he gathered a ball of roaring vibrations, shooting it in Kunimi’s direction, breaking the half-drawn _something_ before Kunimi could even finish. Hajime continued shooting the streams of vibrations towards him, forcing Kunimi back to the edge of the court, which Hajime could feel the purr and thrum of the force field’s vibrations, as Kunimi slashed across his body, drawing half-made shields, which were continuously broken.

Before Hajime could force Kunimi out of the way, Kindaichi ran past him, brushing him, before he was knocked over by Kindaichi’s after-image. Hajime rolled back onto his knees and placed his hands on the ground, causing the floor to shake. Kindaichi tripped and he tumbled into Kunimi, the two ending up in a pile.

“You need to try harder than that,” Hajime said, standing in front of them with a hand on his hips. Kunimi sniffed, his delicate nose red from the snow. While Kindaichi’s face turned a little red as he tried to stand up, wanting to prove himself, Kunimi didn’t seem like he cared at all. Which he didn’t. Hajime sighed. Kindaichi ran at him again, and Hajime struck the ground with his foot, causing the floor to shake and crack under the pressure of the vibrations. The blur that was Kindaichi flew into existence again, and he tumbled to the ground in front of Hajime’s feet. “Wow, I’m really loving the persistence, Kindaichi, but you’ve got to think before you attack.” He struck the ground with his foot again, sending vibrations to bounce Kindaichi into the air. He caught him by the collar of his shirt, Kindaichi struggled, but Hajime locked him into place, vibrations thrumming around him.

Without a second thought, Hajime threw Kindaichi out of the force field. Hajime went for Kunimi who stared at him blankly.

“I told you you’d win, Iwaizumi,” Kunimi said. Hajime frowned down at him. Kunimi had so much potential. His mark could have let him do amazing things in battle, if he actually tried to draw them faster and practiced. There was only one time Kunimi’s animations had ever had a killing intent, and that was in the battle where Oikawa had almost been killed. Hajime was just glad he’d been able to pry Oikawa out of that _thing’s_ jaws before he’d really been eaten alive. Hajime opened his mouth to say something when he felt a chill go down his spine that had nothing to do with the storm. Kunimi’s eyes went wide in a strange expression of fear before Kunimi quickly drew a hammer and smashed open a hole in the force field, fleeing through it.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki stood in front of Hajime, blackness pouring around their bodies in a sickening aura. Hajime cursed. He’d almost forgotten about Yahaba.

Yahaba’s mark was something no one really had a name for, so they just called its ability “siren song,” because it was able to take control of people’s minds and turn their minds to follow and revel in their darkest, most sinful thoughts. It was really powerful, and made anyone who encountered it and wasn’t taken over, sick to their stomach. It made its victims forget who they are, made them thirst for blood. And afterwards, even when they were released from his powers, it would give people recurring nightmares of their strongest fears.

Hanamaki’s mark crawled up his neck from where it sat over his heart, but instead of its normal golden color, the mark was black thick, crawling over his skin like a thick, poisonous sludge. The blizzard swirled to a stop, and Hajime saw Yahaba standing away, his hands rubbing to make the warmth come back to his fingertips. When he looked over at Hajime, his eyes were black and soulless, and his mark hand thickened around his eyes, creating a mask, over his face, with sharp, vertical lines running from his forehead to his chin.

Hanamaki attacked, the shadows whipping around him like tentacles. Hajime jumped away, rolling under them before slamming a wave of vibrations into the spears of ice Matsukawa had just thrown at him. The two continued sending flurries of attacks at him as Hajime tried his best to make it around them. The only way to stop Yahaba’s mind control, was to distract Yahaba.

Hanamaki landed a hit, swinging his cudgel into Hajime’s side. As Hajime fell, he twisted his body, landing on his back and rolling back onto his feet. He manipulated the vibrations around him into a shield, deflecting Hanamaki’s next attack before directing them at Matsukawa, heating the air around him to prevent him from creating anymore weapons made of ice. Frustrated, Matsukawa threw himself at Hajime, who easily dodged. The best thing about fighting someone possessed by their dark-side was using their intensified bloodlust against them. The people under Yahaba’s control lost all sense of propriety and strategy, making them run completely on their emotions.

Hajime ran at Yahaba, whose eyes widened in surprise. The blackness in them flickered a bit, beginning to retract back to the normal size of a pupil before Yahaba pulled it back to its complete expansiveness. Yahaba braced himself as Hajime slammed into him, knocking Yahaba on the ground. Yahaba struggled underneath him, his face turning red and sweat beading on his forehead as he tried to keep his control over Hanamaki and Matsukawa. The air rustled behind Hajime as Hanamaki started to form out of his shadow. Hajime sent a wave of strong vibrations out in a shell from his back. The vibrations wrapped around Hanamaki keeping him still as Hajime focused on Yahaba.

Yahaba’s eyes were still dark, but the whites were showing slightly on the edges. Even though they were enemies at the moment, Hajime couldn’t help but feel proud of his progress. This was the longest Yahaba’s been able to keep up his song, and on two people instead of one. Yahaba was still focused when he was struggling to get free from Hajime’s strong grasp. But, this couldn’t keep going on. Hajime needed to end the battle.

Hajime lifted his arm and let his fist fly, bringing it down solidly Yahaba’s face. Yahaba’s eyes fluttered shut as he went unconscious, his mark fading back up his skin to the small crescent shape behind his right ear.

Hajime stood up, watching as the darkness seeping from Hanamaki and Matsukawa faded. He let them go from the vibrations, keeping his mark activated, just in case, but the two seemed fine. Shaken, and a little lost, maybe. But fine.

Watari turned off the force field just in time for Hajime to hear Oikawa’s laughter from the bleachers.

Hajime picked up Yahaba, and carried him over to Oikawa. He placed Yahaba down and stared at Oikawa, who was still chuckling.

“What is it, Trashkawa?”

Oikawa looked up at Hajime before his eyes shut as he laughed again. Hajime felt the irritation growing and his fists clenched.

“ _Shitkawa_. I’ll kick your ass.”

“Iwa-chan, so _violent_ ~,” Oikawa laughed. “Speaking of your terrible anger management issues, only _you_ would resort to physical assault instead of using your mark to end a battle.”

Hajime felt heat in his skin and his stare turned into a glare. “Yeah, it just comes so naturally after having to deal with you my entire life.”

“Rude!” Oikawa cried, his eyes widening in fake hurt. Oikawa got that look on his face that means he’s going to be insufferable. “As punishment for hurting my delicate sensibilities, you have to carry me for the rest of today.”

“Like hell!” Hajime exclaimed, staring at Oikawa like he’d grown a second head. Oikawa lifted his arms up, making grabby hands at Hajime.

“Come on, Iwa-chan… I’m not getting any less-carried here!”

“Oh my God. You are unbelievable,” Hajime said, but he lifted Oikawa anyway.

“Yay,” Oikawa hummed, wrapping his arms around Hajime’s neck. Hajime walked back over to the rest of the team, feeling like he wanted to die.

“The threshold’s that way,” Hanamaki said, pointing to the door that led to their dorm rooms.

Hajime also felt like punching him in the face.

“Any words for us, oh captain?” Matsukawa asked with a smirk. Oikawa shifted, adjusting himself to sit primly in Hajime’s grasp.

“You guys have improved so much in these past few weeks,” Oikawa said with a smile. “I’m so proud of you. Especially you, Yahaba. I’m sure you’ll be able to fill my place enough to keep Aobajousai one of the top battle units in the prefecture.”

“Fill my place _enough_?” Yahaba said to himself. Kindaichi snorted.

“But honestly, you’ve all come so far. We’re going to be fine, and I’ll be back in action as soon as possible, so hold out a little longer, okay?” Oikawa finished his speech by flashing a peace sign. Hajime rolled his eyes.

“Practice is dismissed. I’m going to put his Highness to bed. See you guys tomorrow, bright and early.”

“Ossu!” the team called before beginning to disperse. Hajime carried Oikawa back to their room, adjusting him to one hand as he fiddled with getting the door open. He set Oikawa on their bed, walking to the bathroom to get his pain pills.

“How bad does it hurt?” Hajime asked.

“It’s not very bad, although I do feel stiff from sitting on that cold bench for the past hour.”

“Good,” Hajime said, and then coughed. “It’s good that you’re better.” He walked out of the bathroom, handing the pills to Oikawa who took them with a flutter from his lashes.

“Thank you, Iwa-chan.”

There was silence for about five seconds as Hajime turned around to grab a change of clothes when Oikawa went on. “You know, Iwa-chan. I’ve been on dates before, and girls tend to not like it when you’re sweaty.”

“What are you talking about, Asskawa?”

“That hot date you have tonight,” Oikawa said. Hajime heard him reach for the night clothes he had folded on top of his pillow.

“It’s not a _date_ ,” Hajime scoffed. It really wasn’t. Meeting up with an agent from an illegal organization is probably as far from a date as possible. Oikawa might not agree though, if his love for cheesy romantic thrillers was anything to go off of.

“It so _is_. All of those _secretive phone calls_. The constant _denial_. It’s okay to be embarrassed, Iwa-chan.”

“It was _one_ phone call, first of all. Secondly, there is no denial, because this isn’t a date.”

“Iwa-chan, you don’t have to lie to me,” Oikawa said. Hajime turned around, watching as Oikawa pulled on his green and purple alien pajama shorts. Hajime’s eyes caught on the curve of his hip, his inner thigh, the muscles of his abdomen when he let the light, airy fabric of his grey sleep shirt fell over them. Hajime let out a breath through his nose before he quickly came back to himself.

“Fine,” Hajime said, closing his eyes as he turned around to get his things. Maybe it would be easier this way, to say that this outing was a date. It’s not like he could actually tell Oikawa the truth. Not this time. “It’s a date. Someone confessed to me, and I’m going on a date with them.”

“Oh,” Oikawa said before his voice turned chipper again. Hajime noted the strain, but he didn’t understand why. “How cute, Iwa-chan~ your first date. I should take a picture of you two.”

“Please don’t,” Hajime said.

“I totally should. This person needs to know what they’re getting themselves into,” Oikawa yawned. Hajime grinned slightly. The medicine was kicking in. Good. He’d be out in like two seconds, probably.

“Maybe next date,” Hajime said as he heard the rustling of Oikawa’s bedsheets. “You should go to sleep.”

“Mhm, I am,” Oikawa hummed. Hajime loved how nice and pliant he was when he was drugged. Although, only in the current circumstances. Hajime would never trade the real Oikawa for this medicated one. Sometimes he wondered if Matsukawa was right when he called Hajime a masochist. Oikawa was a brat. An asshole. A dick. But Hajime wouldn’t have him any other way.

 Hajime changed clothes, stuffing his workout shorts and shirt into a duffel bag and walked quickly out of the room. He had a meeting to attend.

 

* * *

 

As Hajime neared the park, he received a call from an unknown number.

“Iwaizumi,” he answered, looking around for a mysterious man in a mask.

“This is the Peacemonger,” the voice on the other end was full of static and unrecognizable, as usual.

“Where are you?” Hajime asked.

“I see you.”

“Okay?”

“Turn to your left.”

Hajime did so, looking at the park bench where an adult man with blonde hair, spiked back, was sitting, a phone to his ear. Hajime moved forward but the man’s voice stopped him.

“We can’t be seen together. I’m going to stand up and walk somewhere, and I need you to follow me inconspicuously. Think of this as your first test.”

“Test?”

“Joining our organization requires a certain amount of precision. We need to judge that sort of thing before we can really let you in. It gives us a sense of what we need to teach you, where to start with your training, etc.”

“Alright,” Hajime said, but he felt uneasy. Was joining the Peacemongers really worth it? Was he going to be able to live with such a huge secret? Oikawa had always been able to read him. Now wouldn’t be any different. The date excuse would only work for so long, until Oikawa wanted to meet them.

There was a click and the blonde man stood up from the bench, raising his arms above his head in a stretch, before he walked off, hands in his pocket. After a few seconds, Hajime began to follow after him, keeping a distance and his phone out and turned on, just in case anyone watching would think they just happened to be following a similar route home.

Hajime periodically glanced at the man’s back, wondering who he was, what kind of a person he would be. What kind of person would any Peacemonger be? What was their mentality, their goals? Hajime was anxious to find out. The Peacemonger who recruited him had said that he would agree with them. Would he really? What did that mean if he did?

Hajime wasn’t sure he was ready to be a criminal.

The man had made it so simple, join the Peacemongers, become strong and protect Oikawa. But now that it was happening, and Hajime was officially becoming an affiliate of the most illegal group in Japan, he felt sick. How could he have thought there would be no negative repercussions? Not thinking is what he always chastised Oikawa about. That recklessness Oikawa possessed that drove him to hurt himself, Iwaizumi was doing the exact thing he disliked the most. He wasn’t thinking. If he had thought about it, he would have never called this guy. Would have never arranged to meet with him. With his organization.

They had got him when he was vulnerable, though, and Hajime had to give them their credit. Of course he was going to say yes, when all he could see was his own failure –his friend broken and bloody. How could he not?

The man stepped into a shop, _Sakonoshita_ , and Iwaizumi entered shortly after, just in case there were customers inside.

There weren’t. The man was standing behind the counter, leaning against it lazily. Iwaizumi shifted his duffle bag.

“Well?” Hajime asked. 

The man pushed off of the counter and motioned for Hajime to follow him around. He did and watched with fascination as the man pulled a hidden lever, opening a secret door with a staircase leading down. Hajime followed him in, the door closing shut behind them, causing the lights in the staircase to flicker on.

The stairs led down to another door, which the man pushed open. Hajime was met with a loud bout of laughter and the image of a kid with a buzz cut laying a hard punch to an older guy’s face, knocking his glasses to the ground.

“Nice one, Ryuu! You got Shimada!” a blonde girl with short hair called, waving a fist in the air. Her shirt rode up her stomach.

“Thanks, sis!” Ryuu responded as he dodged an attack from another teenager, this one actually kind of scary looking. “Better try harder, Kyoutani!”

Kyoutani made a weird growling noise as he attacked again, this time landing a hit on Ryuu’s chest, pushing him back.

“Hey, who the fuck is that?” the blonde girl asked, pointing nonchalantly at Hajime. The two teenagers and the guy with glasses looked over at him and the man. The guy with the glasses put them back on his face, but one of the ear pieces was knocked off.

“That must be the new recruit,” the glasses guy commented.

“Oh!” the blonde girl said, walking over to them with a sway in her hips. She stuck out a hand. “The name’s Tanaka Saeko,” she grabbed the head Ryuu and rubbed it roughly. “This hooligan here is my younger brother, Ryuunosuke.”

“Call me Tanaka.”

Hajime shook both of their hands. The glasses guy introduced himself next.

“I’m Shimada Makoto,” he said and Hajime took his hand before remembering himself.

“Ah, Iwaizumi Hajime.”

The blonde man put his hand out as well. “It’s a long time due, Iwaizumi. My name is Ukai Keishin,” he put a hand on his hip and pointed to the glaring Kyoutani. “That’s Kyoutani Kentarou. He’s new as well.” Keishin turned back to Hajime. “He’s going to be enrolling to Aobajousai after interhigh.”

“Right,” Hajime said, surveying the faces in front of him. He hadn’t sensed any hostility, or suspicion. They seemed nice. He wondered why they had decided to start doing illegal activities. Were these people really capable of doing things like killing senators and unmarked citizens, or blowing up, burning down, or destroying gyms? “So, what now?”

Keishin grinned. “We can start your training. See where you are. Here, Tanaka,” the buzz cut snapped to attention. “Why don’t you fight Hajime quickly?”

“Sure,” Tanaka said, gesturing for Hajime to follow him to the center of the floor. Hajime took his position across from him, wondering what kind of mark this guy had. He and Kyoutani had only been fighting hand to hand, and from how it looked, neither of them had activated their marks. “Ready?”

Hajime grinned. “Of course.” He awakened his mark, the mantra coming easily to his head from years of practice: _I am balanced. I am expansive. I am centered._ Heat built on the center of his back where his mark had manifested, and he could see a red glow – _oh, so Tanaka’s somatic, then_ \- when the door opened. The two in the center were momentarily distracted as two other teenagers ran in.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Tanaka said with a grin. It was another buzz cut guy. Hajime hoped he’d never cut his hair that way (even Kyoutani had buzzed sides). Oikawa would never let him hear the end of it. Actually, Oikawa would be pretty amused if he was here and would no doubt have some snarky comment dancing on his tongue in regards to the looks of the three peacemongers.

“Sorry, I couldn’t get away. Kinoshita wouldn’t go to sleep,” the buzz cut guy took off his jacket, walking over to where Keishin and the others were standing, followed by the other one, who was tall (definitely taller than Hajime, but then again Hajime was never the tallest). Keishin began to speak.

“The latecomers are Narita,” he gestured to buzz cut, “and Aone,” he gestured to the taller one. “There are a few others who might come later. We’re pretty lax on time and meeting attendance, as long as everyone fulfills their missions and/or training requirements.”

“Nice to meet you,” Narita said with a small smile. Aone nodded. Hajime looked between both of them.

“Same to you,” he said.

“Now that that’s out of the way, you guys get going. We don’t have all night,” Keishin clapped.

Hajime and Tanaka returned their focus to each other. There was silence before they both stepped forward. Hajime saw the vibrations build around Tanaka’s right arms and thighs as he bounded forward, faster than Hajime had seen anyone without a Speed Mark like Kindaichi move. He sent out a wave of vibrations to trip Tanaka. Tanaka hit the ground, but grabbed Hajime’s shirt, ripping the fabric and dragging Hajime down. Tanaka was on him in an instant, his fist coming down hard on Hajime’s face. Hajime felt his jaw crack and pain blossomed in his already swelling cheek.

Hajime flipped them over, using the vibrations for leverage, but Tanaka turned and wrapped his legs around Hajime’s arm, hooking them around his shoulder and pulling fast, dislocating it.

Hajime grunted (he didn’t scream, as a general. Hajime prided himself on his patience and calmness, although the _calmness_ wasn’t always one hundred percent he supposed.) and sent vibrations into Tanaka, prying him from Hajime’s body before pushing him a good distance away. Hajime stood up, his arm hanging limply from the dislocation. He spat out blood. Tanaka was on the move again (Hajime noted his impressive recovery), Hajime dodged his attack this time, rallying a few shots of vibrations at him. He manipulated the waves of particles, binding his arms behind him.

“Fuck,” Tanaka cursed as he struggled against the bond.

“Some kind of binding mark?” Saeko asked. Shimada shook his head, his eyes narrowing.

“Maybe, I’m not sure. Keishin, what did your grandpa say his mark was?”

“He didn’t,” Keishin responded, “but I can feel the heat forming around Tanaka’s arms. It probably has something to do with vibrations, if I had to guess.”

“Hm,” Shimada said, his eyebrows raising. “Interesting.”

Tanaka shook himself out of his stupor, and ran at Hajime, swinging into a roundhouse kick. Hajime caught his leg as it came near his hurt cheek, the force of it making something pull in his forearm. He used the leg as leverage, swinging Tanaka to where he was halfway on the ground. Hajime started to form another binding of vibrations to his legs when he fell to the ground as well, Tanaka having contorted his body to slam into Hajime’s leg.

Hajime fell down, the binding almost break as Tanaka dug his heel into Hajime’s stomach, the other foot pressing into his side. Hajime twisted, trying to remove the strong pressure placed on his spine before he turned over, allowing Tanaka to break a few of his ribs. He was sure there was a healer somewhere.

Hajime wrapped his arms around Tanaka’s body, squeezing and forcing the waves to move faster, binding Tanaka’s entire body in a blanket of vibrations. Hajime rolled back, panting, the pain hitting him in big, digging stabs.

“Winner: Iwaizumi!” Saeko announced loudly, “Loser: Ryuu!”

“Was that necessary, sis?” Tanaka called, his voice muffled by the vibrations surrounding him.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you around Hajime’s killer move.”

Tanaka made an angry noise and Hajime waved his hand, dispersing the vibrations. Keishin and Shimda walked over to Hajime, helping him up.

“Narita here is our healer,” Keishin said. “Well, his mark is actually regeneration, but we’ve trained him to be able to externalize it, which allows him to heal others much faster than people with normal healing marks.”

“I hope you don’t mind,” Narita said as he gestured for Hajime to take off his shirt. Hajime did, sighing as he realized that he hadn’t changed into his practice clothes. There were multiple holes shredded on the back of his shirt. How as he going to explain _that_ to Oikawa?

“Not at all,” Hajime said, his teeth grinding together as Narita lightly pushed on his abdomen. He felt a light heat begin to spread through his body, like a dull flame, when there was an audible creaking sound and the pain was covered by tongues of heat lapping up his rips and into his shoulder and face. His arm lifted, without him moving it and he felt the join slip back into place before the heat licked over the sore muscles. Pressure built in his jaw as the heat went into the skin. Here, it turned cold, like ice and Hajime felt the painful swelling quickly die down. Narita removed his hands, sweat pouring down his neck from the exertion. Hajime stood up and bent down, feeling no strain in his ribs, no pain in his jaw, and his shoulder was fully functional again.

He was blown away. Where was this person when Oikawa needed him? Oikawa still needed him.

“That was impressive,” he complimented. Narita smiled shyly.

“Thank you. I’m not very good yet.”

“Nonsense,” Keishin cut in. “You have a gift. While you might not be a natural with fighting, your abilities are probably one of the most beneficial we can have. You can never have too many healers, at least until there are more healers than fighters –but that’s not the case.”

“But I can’t fix multiple people, and it’s not very fast…”

Keishin put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll get there.

“Ukai, are you a coach?” Hajime asked.

Ukai groaned, shoving his hands in his pockets, his head tilting back to stare at the ceiling. “Even when he’s not here, he still follows me.”

Shimada started laughing, as did Saeko, from where she was holding Tanaka down, her leg locked around the joint of his elbow. Tanaka smacked the ground repeatedly.

“I give up, I give up!”

“I’m sorry?” Hajime asked, unsure of what he had just referenced. Shimada shook his head.

“There’s a certain keeper at a local school, Karasuno, who keeps pestering Keishin to become Karasuno’s coach.”

“Oh,” Hajime said. “I know that guy. He keeps calling our coach to try and arrange a practice match.”

“Practice match, Karasuno,” a gravelly voice began. “Been a while since I heard those words.”

“Grandpa,” Keishin greeted the older man who had just entered the training ground. The old man nodded at him, heading towards Hajime.

“So this must be Iwaizumi Hajime,” he said, looking him over. Hajime felt embarrassed, unsure of what the man was looking for, and he couldn’t tell from the man’s face if he had it. “My name’s Ukai Ikkei. I’m the head of the Miyagi branch of the Peacemongers. Welcome.”

“Thanks,” Hajime wasn’t sure what to say. What was he supposed to do? Compliment the décor? He’d never been a conversationalist. That was Oikawa’s job.

“We’ve been observing you for a while now,” Ikkei went on, “and we’ve seen traits in you that we want in our organization. You seem dedicated, protective, and endowed with common sense. You have a good head on your shoulders, and you know how to fight. You’re loyal.”

Hajime was quiet. Ikkei continued. “We have scouted you, and would like you to consider joining our cause.”

“What is your cause exactly?” Hajime asked. “I’ve only heard of you from the news, and you’re not exactly hailed as heroes.”

Ikkei laughed. “I’m glad you asked. All we want is peace. All we want is equality for marked people. All we want is for acceptance, to be treated like fellow human beings. We want to dismantle the battling system, as well as the UOME.”

 “Why the UOME? It’s the political organization in charge of granting us freedom,” Hajime asked. Ikkei shook his head.

“Don’t buy that, Iwaizumi. The United Organization of Marked Equality? No, the fact that there is an organization granting us equality shows that we are actually inferior. There isn’t an organization for the equality of unmarked people, is there? If there was, then there wouldn’t be a problem. The fact that the government has created an organization, and confers with this organization about us, without actual marked people being on the board, is only another way to keep us subservient to the whims of the unmarked population.”

Hajime frowned, what the man was saying made sense, and he remembered when he was younger, he and Oikawa had questioned why there wasn’t an organization for unmarked people. Although, at the time, they hadn’t seen it from the view of “we have it because we are inferior,” but “they don’t have one, which is unfair to them.” He hadn’t thought much about it since then, but now that he was older, he could definitely understand where the man was coming from.

“I understand that, but I don’t believe that condones killing unmarked people,” Hajime was careful.

“That’s a lie spread by the media,” Ikkei responded. “We don’t kill people. Yes, we sent an agent to burn down that tournament gym,” he gestured with his head to Keishin, who at that point had lit a cigarette with a flick of his fingers. He looked abashed. “But there were no deaths, no injuries. We don’t kill people, especially those who can’t defend themselves –because that would make us no better than the institutions we are trying to destroy. Yes, we make statements, and yes, we do demonstrations and damage public property –but we are fighting a social war, and without taking a stand, we will only be stepped on.”

Hajime nodded, but he wasn’t sure he was convinced. While he did hate the battling system, he’d calmed down since Oikawa’s injury. It made sense that he would have gotten hurt at some point. That was only logical. Being marked assured that you’d get hurt at some point, even if you no longer battle, as Hajime had found out through the news. That marked teenager in Sendai who’d been stabbed to death for no reason other than being born with a pattern on his skin. Hajime’s worse fear was that Oikawa would be one of those teenagers, and he’d wake up morning after morning and there’d be no joking, no teasing. He would never see Oikawa’s smile again, his _real_ smile, the one that he got when Hajime agreed to watch shitty sci-fi movies with him, even when Hajime’s favorite monster documentaries were on. He’d never be able to hold Oikawa through his lows, and celebrate with him during his highs.

He’d spent his entire life with Oikawa and the thought of losing him felt like he was losing a part of himself.

Ikkei was still talking. “We would like to extend our hand to you, in friendship, with the hope that you will take us up on our offer and join our organization.”

“I’m not sure what my decision is, yet,” he began. “I’m going to need some time to think.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Ikkei said. “Like I told you earlier, you’re smart and have a good head on your shoulders. Joining a criminal organization would make anyone with at least _some_ common sense pause.”

“Hah!” Saeko laughed suddenly. Keishin raised an eyebrow at her outburst. She hit her leg as she was overcome by giggles. “Remember how Kyoutani joined right away? Like, we didn’t even have to _ask_. He literally just _interrupted_ Ikkei like ‘thanks for the explanation, but I already am a member, I just decided that myself.’ _God,_ it gets me every time.”

Kyoutani was unabashed. Hajime had to admit that it took balls to _tell_ the leader of a crime syndicate that you had decided on your own to join.

Ikkei ignored her outburst, continuing on. “I would ask you, though, to think on the things that I’ve said, and look at the world around you and what’s happening. Of course, you’re allowed to continue coming here and training until you make your decision. That way you’ll be able to get a better feel for who we are and what we believe in.”

“Thank you,” Hajime said, bowing his head to the old man.

Keishin stepped forward. “If you need anything, call the number I called you with tonight. It’s my cell number. We have meetings and training sessions every Friday night. You’re always welcome.”

“Thank you,” Hajime said again, nodding his head.

“You’re free to go,” Ikkei said, and Hajime bowed again, grabbing his bag from the floor where he’d dropped it, pulling out his workout shirt and pulling it on since his other shirt had been destroyed by his powers. Saeko clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“You seem fun, I’d like to battle you sometime.”

“Oi!” Tanaka called out as he opened the door. Hajime turned around, to see Tanaka pointing at him, his face contorted with his nose wrinkled and eyebrows draw up in an attempt to look threatening. “I want a fucking rematch! So you better come back!”

Hajime waved his hand. “I’ll see you guys later.”

The door closed behind him and the lights in the staircase flickered on as Hajime walked back up to _Sakanoshita’s_ store. They all seemed like nice people, even though they were criminals.

He sighed, shifting his shoulder bag, as he started on the trek back to Aobajousai.

He had some decisions to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> {On the title:  
> This is the first time so far that I've used a folk tale as a title for the story, however I found it very fitting in comparison to Hajime's devotion to caring for Oikawa. Basically, in the story of Amis and Amile, they spend years looking for one another to help each other and comfort each other. When I read it, I thought it was a pretty solid comparison, at least morally, to the friendship between Oikawa and Hajime, at least in the foundation of their mutual devotion to each other. I thought I'd take the time to explain my usage of the title since it's not from a poem or song like the rest of them. Other important chapters will have titles that are derived from folk tales that have a similar theme, just as the poems and songs have a similar theme to what I'm going for in the particular chapter they are being used in.}


	12. You'll Always Be The One Who's By My Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kuroo breaks the law, yaku is the alpha mom, and kenma just wants kuroo to stop doing stupid things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only time to live our lives  
> And you'll be the one who's by my side  
> And I can promise you then  
> You'll always be my best friend
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Relient K ( _You'll Always Be My Best Friend_ )

Kenma sighed for the third time. Tetsurou was pretty sure Kenma didn’t even know he was doing it. It was a soft, breathy sound, almost imperceptible (actually, it probably would be if Tetsurou didn’t know Kenma as well as he did). Tetsurou watched him, considering his next move (should he say something, or should he wait for Kenma to bring up his issue?) when Kenma slowly put down his game controller and flopped against the armrest of the couch, another sigh coming from his mouth.

Tetsurou raised an eyebrow at his behavior. He leaned to the side and put his face in front of Kenma’s.

“Ken _maaa_ ,” he drawled, watching Kenma’s brow furrow in agitation.

“Go away, Kuroo, I’m not in the mood,” Kenma quipped quickly, his eyes averting to stare at the wall past Tetsurou’s head.

“ _Kenmaaa_ ,” Tetsurou made the whine louder. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Kenma said, rolling over to face the ceiling. Tetsurou rested his chin on the couch seat, observing Kenma’s profile. Kenma was self-conscious about his appearance, but Tetsurou had always thought he was cute.

“Don’t lie to me, Kenma,” Tetsurou chided, brushing his fingers lightly up and down Kenma’s upper arm. He heard Kenma sigh again.

“I’m just…” Kenma paused, seemingly unsure of what to say. Tetsurou waited for him to finish, knowing that sometimes Kenma needed a bit of peace to organize his thoughts. “The game I’ve been wanting is coming out in stores tonight at midnight.”

“I see,” Tetsurou said, continuing to make light trails up and down Kenma’s forearm. Kenma breathed out through his nose. Tetsurou continued. “You had planned to go and pick it up tomorrow, but now you can’t because of the curfew.”

Kenma shrugged, his eyes still travelling around the ceiling. Tetsurou sighed to himself, thinking, not for the first time, how much he wanted to kiss the tiredness and the lingering sadness from Kenma’s face. “I can just email the store and ask for someone to deliver it tomorrow,” Kenma said quietly. “If it’s not sold-out by then.”

“Did you preorder it?” Tetsurou asked. Kenma shook his head, his body finally relaxing under Tetsurou’s coaxing touch, his crossed arms falling down to rest by his side. “Is it really popular?”

Kenma nodded. “It’s from a pretty big franchise. Well, it wasn’t really that big, but the last game they released for it really saved the series.”

Tetsurou smiled, enjoying the lilt of excitement that entered Kenma’s usually monotonous voice when he talked about videogames. “Is the store going to be open tonight for a release, then?”

Kenma shook his head, before looking at him inquisitively. “Why are you so interested in this, Kuroo?”

Tetsurou put on an innocent expression. “I just want to know how you’re doing, Kenma.”

Kenma narrowed his eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid, Kuroo.”

“I have no idea why you would ever think that I would do anything stupid,” Tetsurou said, putting the hand that wasn’t lightly brushing Kenma’s arm to his chest in an exaggerated, hurt gesture. Kenma looked at him with fond exasperation before picking up his DS again, his spirits seemingly lifted.

Tetsurou always loved it when he was able to do something for Kenma. Even when they were kids, he’d wanted to make Kenma happy. Kenma had always had a more melancholy nature around him, something that was hard for Tetsurou to understand until he was a bit older and was able to recognize what he thought was Kenma’s sadness for insecurities and anxiety. It had been hard for Kenma growing up because of his mark, due to it being on his face, overlapping his nose in graceful arcs, perfectly symmetrical.

Tetsurou had been lucky, because his mark was easily concealable, being on the palm of his hand. Kenma was always worried about what others thought of him, about the prejudices he faced because everyone who met him automatically knew that he was marked. There was no way he could hide it.

Tetsurou had always wished that _he_ had been born with a mark on his face, and not Kenma.

“Hey, Kenma,” Tetsurou said quietly, seeing the boys flick over to him for an instant before going back to his game, telling Tetsurou wordlessly that he had Kenma’s attention. Tetsurou smiled, taking Kenma’s smaller hand into his own. “You’re so cute when you’re excited.”

A light flush covered Kenma’s cheeks, creating a starker contrast between his skin and the ink-like black of his mark. “Be quiet, Kuroo.”

“But it’s _true_ , Kenma,” Tetsurou smiled as he saw Kenma’s nose scrunch slightly and his eyebrows pull together. “You get this look on your face like you’re squealing on the inside and you seem so _vibrant_. Like you’re shining. You know the sheen that pregnant women get when they find out their pregnant? It’s kind of like that, but-”

“Why would you choose a _pregnant woman_ to compare me to?” Kenma grumbled.

“Honestly, it was the first thing that came to mind,” Tetsurou grinned. “But I could say that when you’re happy, you shine like a star. Or that you make me feel warm, like when I’m next to a fireplace and it’s really cold outside. All of these comparisons are true, but I felt you’d be more embarrassed by them,” he gave Kenma a smirk when his eyes flickered over to Tetsurou’s face. “I can go on, if you’d like me to.”

Before Kenma could say anything, there was a snort as Yaku walked in from the kitchen, a mug of hot milk in hand. Yaku shook his head. “There he goes, waxing poetic again.”

“What are you doing out here, Yaku?” Tetsurou asked, a little put off that Yaku had ruined a potentially romantic (well, Tetsurou _hoped_ it could be reciprocally romantic) moment between himself and Kenma. “I didn’t know you drank hot milk.”

“I don’t. I just needed a reason to come out here and tell you two to get your asses to bed before I drag you there.”

“Just let me beat this level, Yaku,” Kenma bargained. “Then I’ll go to bed.”

“It’s already almost midnight, Kenma,” Yaku mothered. He put his hands on his hips. “Fine, but I’m going to wait here for you to finish and then make sure you go to bed, okay?”

“Wow, Yaku,” Tetsurou started, a smirk on his lips as he looked at the short guard. “Such a good mother. Are you going to tuck him in, too??”

Yaku stares at him for a few seconds. “No, because I feel like _you_ would want to. Actually, you’d just _join_ him in bed, if we’re being honest here.”

Tetsurou’s eyes narrow slightly, as he understood what Yaku was trying to imply, and while Yaku wasn’t _wrong_ (Tetsurou often thought about sleeping with Kenma, having Kenma curled into his body with Tetsurou’s arms wrapped around him. He also thought about sleeping with Kenma in less innocent ways, and the way Kenma would breathe as Tetsurou kissed down his body. Tetsurou thought about all the ways he could make Kenma feel good and smile, because all Tetsurou wanted was for Kenma to be happy.), Tetsurou wished everyone would stop making those kinds of subtle hints around Kenma, because it reminded Tetsurou that he was weak and cowardly because he couldn’t bring himself to even entertain the thought of telling Kenma how he felt.

But Kenma was _smart_ , smarter than Tetsurou, definitely (he wasn’t called the brain of Nekoma for nothing), and Tetsurou knew that Kenma would figure it out one day because none of their friends could keep their mouths shut about Tetsurou’s awful crush on him (except for Bokuto, surprisingly, but that was probably because he was in a similar situation to Tetsurou, as well as the two being inseparable bros with the all-powerful bro-code that forbade them from sharing each other’s deepest feelings).

Yaku sat down in an armchair as they waited for Kenma to finish. There was a comfortable silence between the three of them, only broken by the rhythmic tapping of Kenma’s fingers, until Kenma sat up, turning off his DS when he finished. Tetsurou stood up, grabbing Kenma’s hands to help him off the couch, before putting a hand on his waist, guiding him to his room. Yaku followed behind them.

“So, what was the name of that game you wanted?” Tetsurou asked as they approached the door to the room Kenma shared with Yamamoto.

“Why?” Kenma asked, furrowing a brow as he stared up at Tetsurou. Tetsurou shrugged.

“Just curious. I might do some reading on it tonight.”

“ _Fire Emblem: Fates_ ,” Kenma answered, blinking, though he really wasn’t surprised at Tetsurou’s sudden interest. Tetsurou always tried to get involved in the things that Kenma liked so he didn’t feel alone or isolated in his interests. “There’s two versions of the game for each possible route you can take.”

“And they are put on the shelves tonight at midnight?”

“Yes,” Kenma said again. Yaku raised an eyebrow at Tetsurou, before scowling. Kenma opened his mouth, paused, and then said: “Don’t do something stupid, Kuroo.”

“Who do you take me for?” Tetsurou asked, a grin in place, even though he was lying. What he was going to do was probably something Kenma would categorize as stupid. Breaking into a videogame store and then stealing two games from it in the dead of night after a curfew was put on marked people (after the three executives of the UOME were killed by an apparently new marked organization that had left the scene with one image: a graffiti five-fold symbol) was probably not the sanest thing Tetsurou had ever come up with. But Tetsurou could already imagine Kenma’s face, when Tetsurou gave him the games, the way his eyes would widen slightly and look a little more lively, and the flush that would appear on his cheeks (that came up whenever someone did something kind for him, but especially Tetsurou), and the way he’d bite his bottom lip as the corners of his mouth turned up into a slight smile. Risking getting caught was totally worth it to Tetsurou, if he got to bring a little bit of joy into Kenma’s life.

Kenma’s eyes slightly narrowed before he seemed to drop the subject, opening his door. “Goodnight, Kuroo, Yaku.”

“Goodnight, Kenma,” Yaku said, smiling at him. Tetsurou grinned, placing a hand affectionately on Kenma’s head, before he echoed the sentiment. Kenma quickly went into his room. Yaku turned to Tetsurou, his arms crossing over his chest as he shifted his weight onto one hip. Tetsurou looked down at him, his eyebrows going up.

“Don’t give me that look, Yaku.”

Yaku’s lips were pinched into a tight line and his foot tapped the ground twice before he sighed, eyes closing. “I can’t tell you what to do, but just listen to my advice: I know what you’re thinking of doing, and it’s too dangerous. The police and UOME agents are crawling the streets ready to catch and suppress anyone they catch who bears a mark. You know that. Sneaking out to get Kenma something he wants is the _last_ thing you should do right now.”

Tetsurou let his face relax, understanding Yaku’s point. It _was_ dangerous, Yaku wasn’t wrong. Ever since the curfew had been instituted in Tokyo, it was getting more and more dangerous to have a mark at all, and a lot of psionic users had been driven to stay indoors because their marks tended to be the most visible, as they were located on the user’s head and neck. Seeing marks started causing fear in unmarked people, and this fear had morphed into a strong hate due to the UOME’s constant messages speaking about “marked threats against the common population.”

But even though he knew this, Tetsurou also felt like he needed to go out and do something –break the oppressive law. Maybe it wasn’t just to do something for Kenma. Tetsurou’s motives and mind was far more complex than that. Maybe it was also to argue against the prejudiced nature of the laws. If the unmarked government was going to tell him what he could and could not do, basing their rules only on the fact that he had a _mark_ on his skin (and accompanying powers), Tetsurou would show them that he didn’t respect their institution in the slightest. And maybe breaking out and going on the streets after curfew wasn’t the most he could do (he could do _so, so_ much _worse_ ), but it was a start. And if he had to rough up a few agents and policemen along the way, so be it. Tetsurou would show them _exactly_ how he felt about their prejudice.

“I have to, Yaku,” Tetsurou said after a pause. Yaku closed his eyes again, breathing out through his nose. He turned away, heading to their room, Tetsurou following after him. When they got to the room, Yaku lifted up the edge of their throw rug, opening a small compartment in the floor. Tetsurou smiled at Yaku’s small form as Yaku held up the mask for him to take. He knew Yaku would understand his deeper feelings.

They were both Peacemongers, after all.

Tetsurou grabbed the fox mask, pulling his bangs out of the way as he pulled it over his head. He had always liked the design of his mask. It had red accents, a circle over the forehead that ran down the long snout in a thick line. Under the holes for his eyes, there was another dash of red, and a third splash on the edges. The mask completely covered his face, and it had a fabric cover for his head and neck. Tetsurou took off his casual shirt, allowing Yaku to help him fasten the long drapes of the mask behind him while he took care of the front.

He grabbed one of their bulletproof vests (just in case), and hooked it on himself, using the last clips of the mask to fasten the two pieces of clothing together. After that, he put on a looser black shirt, and finished the outfit off with the appropriate pants. Yaku handed him gloves and he pulled them on, before lacing up his boots. He looked himself over in the mirror, making sure no skin or hair was showing, so that he wouldn’t leave a trace for the authorities to find him. That was something he didn’t want to deal with.

Yaku glowered at him, still unhappy with Tetsurou’s choice, but knowing it was better to help him stay safe than to give him no help at all. “I still don’t like this.”

“I know,” Tetsurou nodded, adjusting his shirt slightly. “But we both know that if anything happens, I’m one of the few people who will be able to make it back.”

Yaku scowled deeper. “How about you don’t get caught at all.”

“Of course, of course,” Tetsurou said, mostly to try and reassure Yaku. He had never stolen anything before, and he was slightly worried about doing it in his uniform. He knew he couldn’t get caught because he didn’t want to leave a bad rumor about the Peacemongers for the UOME to use against them. Tetsurou sighed through his nose. Maybe this wasn’t the smartest idea, but the game store was only a few blocks away from the school, and he wanted to test the waters –see how bad the streets are –and see if he could get away with something bigger later on. Like finally being able to attend a Peacemonger meeting since the curfew had been instituted (he’d only missed one so far, but the Tokyo branch was much stricter than some of the others when it came to attendance).

Yaku stepped back, having already closed the compartment and returned the rug to where it usually was, watching as Tetsurou cracked open their window, climbing out onto the sill. Yaku walked forward.

“I’ll cushion your fall,” he said, his green energy mark already crawling down his arm in an instant activation. Tetsurou grinned at him in thanks, before letting go and pushing off the building.

He always enjoyed the rush of freefalling (at least with the knowledge there would be something for him to land on so he wouldn’t die). The wind rushing past him and the loss of precise control (something he would usually hate), made him really feel free. His back hit something soft and warm, and he relaxed before he felt a buzzing in his head as energy rushed into his body. Tetsurou stood up, seeing the glowing mass Yaku had created, before waving up at him. Yaku frowned back, and closed the window. Tetsurou watched the energetic mass fade away, the grass standing on end, looking much more alive from having been touched by it.

Tetsurou also felt a rush of energy and strength course through his body and the felt the burning sensation in his palm of his mark enlarging, activating. Even if Yaku was mad, he still cared, and that was something Tetsurou had always liked about him.

Tetsurou looked around, staying close to the shadows as he made his way through the back alleys to the game store. A few times, he’d see the beam of a flashlight, causing him to pause, until it went away. Looked like the agents weren’t being as thorough as he had thought they would be. Oh well. That was better for him.

Before long, Tetsurou had arrived at the back of the game store. Now came the harder part: breaking in.

Tetsurou’s mark was well equipped for pretty much any challenge, as it was a combinational type. His mark had originally been described as “persuasion” and then named “push” by specialists because it would allow him to “push” his will onto others and make it their own. Of course, that’s what it had developed into overtime. Even as a child, he had been called a “provocation expert” by one of his best friends, Bokuto, because he had always been adept at reading people and acting accordingly to make them frustrated or mad. And then, his mark had fully developed (or so they had thought) from the typically psionic child’s abilities (being a natural telepath), into using that to make people change their will. Everyone had thought he was done, but then, when he turned 13 and finally started battling for real, he’d fought against an older senpai, one whose name hardly ever crossed his mind, who had a somatic mark –a strength mark. Tetsurou had been beaten badly that day, almost to the point of losing consciousness, when he’d felt an instinct take over him that he’d never felt before.

He can remember the moment clearly, when he had snapped and reached out for his senpai, his palm burning him painfully as it started to grow. He had looked his senpai in the eye and his vision had changed and he saw everything. Where his senpai’s power was, how it formed, how the veins of something _magic_ had run through his body. Then, he saw his senpai’s eyes had turned black, as if a film had come over them and Tetsurou remembered clearly saying:

“Give it to me.”

But the voice that came out of him was dark and resounding through the caverns of his mind and the mind of his senpai and he watched as the veins got brighter, before leaping from his senpai’s body and into Tetsurou.

The next thing Tetsurou remembers was waking up the next day and staring at the mark on his hand, seeing it burn a dark, blood red, having changed from the previous black. It had been like that for a few days before the red faded, and his mark changed from black to a dark grey, the change almost nonexistent, but if you looked closely, you’d notice it.

From that point forward, the senpai had danced around him, not wanting to battle Tetsurou. At first, Tetsurou had been worried that his senpai hadn’t had a mark anymore because Tetsurou clearly remembered the power _leave_ his senpai’s body. But then, he was fighting another member of his junior high battle unit, this time someone his same age as him, when he felt it, an intense feeling that he had to be _stronger_ and all of his sudden, the feeling in his mark changed and felt a rush of energy go through his body and he sent his opponent flying across the court with a punch until he fell off, onto the mats below. Tetsurou was confused, until he stared at his hand, seeing that his simple mark had expanded, curling around his wrist with red lines and shapes.

Kenma had been the person who’d told him what had happened. He had _copied_ the mark of his senpai, and was now able to use it to his will. At first, Tetsurou had been skeptical, before he remembered that Kenma’s psionic mark was sensory. Kenma was able to know exactly what someone’s mark allowed them to do as soon as he saw them (later on, he would develop an ability that allowed him to create a sensory field which heightened his perceptive powers). The ability to copy, Kenma had told him, developed from his “push” ability, because Tetsurou was now able to influence the will of a mark to follow him, much like how he was able to influence the will of someone’s mind to follow him. Kenma said it was just the natural progression of his mark, and now that he’d copied a somatic mark, he was no longer just psionic, but had a combination between the two.

Tetsurou’s ability was the reason why he was the most prepared to deal with sticky situations, as he had (at this point), copied many different marks, and while he could only use one at a time, with practice he had become very adept at switching swiftly between them.

Tetsurou touched the door lightly with his hand, switching between marks as he tried to find one that would help him get the door unlocked. _No, no, no_ , before _ah_ , he found it. Disintegration, a power he’d recently gotten from a practice match. He hadn’t used this one yet because he hadn’t found the time, but it was worth a shot. He felt his mark burn and something icy cold seemed to build in his palm as he moved his hand to the door knob. As he touched it, the entire thing fell swiftly into ash. He poked his fingers into the hole left behind, disintegrating the inside locking mechanisms before he deactivated, swinging the door open. He waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

He stepped into the building, ending up in what he could only tell was a breakroom of some sort. He looked around, before going to the door that led into the shop. However, this one didn’t have a knob or a lock, and from what he could see, it was activated by some sort of keycard from the workers (probably to clock in or something, Tetsurou didn’t know for sure). He cursed lightly under his breath. He didn’t have any _electrical_ abilities, like he’d probably need to get through the door. He could try to _pry_ the door open, but that would probably set off alarms and then the police would show up…

Tetsurou sighed, knowing he didn’t have a choice. Luckily, he knew what the game was that Kenma wanted and what platform it was played on. That would at least make his search a little easier. Steeling himself, he activated his strength ability and placed his fingers in the small gap between the door and the wall, where the hinges were, and pulled as hard as he could.

There was the breaking, screeching sound of metal as it bended beneath Tetsurou’s hands, and suddenly, there was a beeping noise that grew louder and louder into a blaring alarm.

“Fuck,” Tetsurou cursed as he shoved his body through the hole, activating an ability he’d gotten from Bokuto. He twisted the light around him, keeping him invisible to the cameras. The lights in the game store had turned on from his intrusion and he quickly went to the Nintendo section of the store, looking down the wall for the games Kenma had talked about. He couldn’t keep up Bokuto’s ability for long. His body wasn’t made to handle dimensional moves and he was already feeling the strain, his head feeling squeezed and his heart pounding faster than he’d ever felt it before. Something wet slid down his face and onto his lips and he recognized the acrid, metallic taste as blood. Knowing that there’d be no way for him to use Bokuto’s ability any longer, Tetsurou turned around, eying the cameras and in a swift move, shot four short bolts of light from the tips of his fingers into the cameras, breaking them. He released himself from the ability and fought the urge to collapse. His nose was bleeding profusely still.

There were shouts outside as the police finally started to respond to the apparent robbery when Tetsurou found what he was looking for. He grabbed the two games, stuffed them into the pouch on his belt, and leaped back through the hole, his body crying out in protest to the movement. He ran back outside into the alley, only to be caught in a bright beam of light. He blinked as his eyes slowly adjusted.

“A-A Peacemonger…!” the policeman exclaimed, pushing a button on his ear to call for backup. Tetsurou advanced forward, his breathing turning ragged. The policeman pulled out a gun. “Stand back! I’m warning you!”

“Go ahead and shoot me,” Tetsurou said. “It won’t do anything, you know?”

“You’re bluffing!”

“Am I? (He was.) How would you know? If I were you, I’d put down the gun so that I don’t get mad.”

The policeman clicked off the safety, his finger already on the trigger. There was a loud _bang!_ and Tetsurou stumbled forward from the impact of a bullet hitting the back of his protective vest. Tetsurou looked behind him. Seeing a second policeman.

“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t give us any trouble. The UOME agents are already on their way.”

“UOME agents? Cute,” Tetsurou mocked. He and the second policeman circled so that the two police were standing next to each other, just how Tetsurou wanted them. Tetsurou stalked toward them, the officers holding their ground, although they were starting to pale, looking more terrified. “You guys are doing a good job at being brave, but I can tell that you’re really scared right now.” Tetsurou’s mark burned and he felt film glossing over his eyes and he saw their wills clearly outlined in their heads. “But I wouldn’t it be nice to forget this ever happened? To be able to go home tonight and sleep soundly because you haven’t faced what you fear will be death?”

The first policeman nodded in agreement and Tetsurou watched as a black film grew over his eyes. Good, he’d be a goner soon. The second policeman stood his ground. Tetsurou’s eyes narrowed. He’d have to go a little deeper on the second guy. He cursed himself. If he wasn’t so tired, he wouldn’t have any problem pushing these guys to repress their memories.

Tetsurou went deeper into the second man’s mind. “Ah, Kurosawa,” he said a grin in his voice as the second policeman stiffened. “You have such a cute family. A nice wife and a little son, with another on the way. It would be bad if something happened to them.”

“Y-You wouldn’t…” his voice was quiet. Of course Tetsurou wouldn’t –he despised hurting innocent people, but he needed to get out of here before those UOME guys showed up with their suppression guns that would make him unable to fight back so they could take him to headquarters to become just another experiment.

“I won’t… if you drop the brave act and surrender to me,” Tetsurou said. The second cop wavered and Tetsurou took the chance to push harder on his will. He buckled, his eyes glazing over as well. Tetsurou walked toward them, the cops now frozen in place, unable to control themselves. He put both his hands on their heads, feeling a burn start in his second palm as he replaced their memories from that night. After it was done, he ran back towards the school, just in time to miss the agents start swarming the place.

He didn’t stop running until he got to the outside of the Nekoma dorms, and to the big tree outside of Kenma’s window. He put his hands on the handholds and scaled up the side, using all the strength he had left in his body to pull himself onto the branch had settled right outside of Kenma’s window. Tetsurou sat down, heavily, breathing hard as he removed his mask, feeling the blood from his nose drip down onto his neck.

“Gross,” he muttered, wiping it away, wishing he could get that nasty taste out of his mouth. He sighed as he felt the dampness in the fabric part of his mask, where the blood had dripped. He’d have to wash it now. He rested for a few seconds before he grabbed a few sticks from the branch, throwing them at the window, a few seconds in between. After a minute or so, the window slid open and Kenma stuck his head out, frowning at Tetsurou.

“What are yo-,” he cut himself off as his eyes widened. “Kuroo, you’re bleeding.” He crawled out of his window and onto the thick branch towards Tetsurou. Tetsurou grinned at him before reaching into his pouch, pulling out the two games. Kenma stared at them blankly, before he reached for them. He looked up at Tetsurou, his eyes still wide.

“You’re an idiot.”

Tetsurou balked, not expecting that reaction. “But, Kenma, I got them for you!”

Kenma looked at him crossly, placing the games on the windowsill before turning to face Tetsurou completely.

“Stupid, stupid Kuroo! You’re so dumb.”

Tetsurou’s mouth opened, watching the planes of Kenma’s cheeks in the moonlight. Kenma reached forward, taking Tetsurou’s face in his hands. “You’re so stupid,” he said again before wrapping his arms around Tetsurou’s neck, pulling them close together. Tetsurou felt a jolt of shock before he accepted the hug, wrapping his arms around Kenma as well.

“You’re such an idiot,” Kenma said again, this time his words were muffled by Tetsurou’s shoulder. “I don’t care enough about the games for you to go to such lengths and end up hurt. That’s so stupid.”

_I care more about you than games,_ Tetsurou understood. _I care about you so don’t hurt yourself for me_.

They sat there for a few seconds before Kenma pulled away, frowning at Tetsurou’s nose. He motioned for Tetsurou to follow him inside. He took Tetsurou to the small bathroom he had in his room and closed the door, reaching for some toilet paper for Tetsurou to put in his nose to catch the blood. After that, Kenma wetted a washcloth, sitting himself on the sink in order to reach Tetsurou’s face. Tetsurou watched as Kenma concentrated on wiping the blood clean, rewetting the cloth when he needed to. He threw the cloth in the trashcan when he was done, tearing some sheets of toilet paper to throw in after it so that the bloodied rag wouldn’t be visible.

Kenma cupped Tetsurou’s cheeks with his hands, his eyebrows furrowed. The two sat in silence for a moment before Tetsurou spoke. “I got those games for you because I care about you, Kenma.”

“I know,” Kenma averted his eyes, never one for much eye-contact. “I know you care about me a lot,” his eyes glanced back at Tetsurou before looking away. A flush rose in his cheeks and he bit his bottom lip. “But sometimes I think you forget that I care about you, too.”

Tetsurou felt his cheeks heat up as he stared down at Kenma, unsure how to respond. Kenma looked equally embarrassed, as he always did when he tried to talk about his feelings. Tetsurou felt an overwhelming urge to confess everything, then and there. To take Kenma into his arms and kiss him senseless (as long as it was consensual, of course, Tetsurou would _never_ take advantage of Kenma like that) and to tell him how much he loved him. How deeply, how completely _in love_ he was. And he almost did confess. It was on the tip of his tongue, the words ready to spill from his lips, like an overflowing pitcher, but he stopped himself.

Kenma glanced at his face, frowning. “Why do you look like that?”

Tetsurou wasn’t sure what face he was making, so he bumped his forehead to Kenma’s looking Kenma in the eyes. “I’m happy. I’m really happy to hear you say that you care about me. It makes me so, so happy.”

Kenma blushed and didn’t respond, obviously unsure. His fingers fiddled together nervously. Tetsurou drew back.

“I’ll let you go to sleep now, Kenma,” he said, the two walking out of the bathroom and towards Kenma’s door. “Goodnight,” Tetsurou said, his hand turning the handle. Kenma stepped forward.

“Ah, Kuroo,” he started, stopping short. Tetsurou looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. Kenma flushed again, his fingers nervously tapping his thighs as he averted his eyes to the floor. “Thank you. For the games. And for going to such lengths to make me feel better.”

Tetsurou smiled at him, unable to hide the tenderness and affection. “Don’t mention it. I like it when you’re happy.”

Kenma’s face was still flushed, but he glanced back up at Tetsurou. “Goodnight, Kuroo.”

“Goodnight, Kenma,” Tetsurou said again, watching as Kenma closed the door softly behind him. Tetsurou walked back to his and Yaku’s room, feeling giddiness overcome his tired and sore body. He opened the door and stepped inside. Yaku shifted in bed with a yawn.

“So, did you woo Kenma?” Yaku asked, his voice tired. Tetsurou blushed as he started to change out of his uniform, folding the clothes and placing them back into the floor compartment.

“He was more concerned by my bleeding nose than the games I stole for him.”

“Bleeding nose?” Yaku asked, already alert. “Did you get hit?”

“No, I just used a dimensional ability,” Tetsurou said, waving off Yaku’s concern. Yaku seemed to bristle.

“That’s even dumber than letting yourself get hit!”

“Yeah, yeah. Kenma made sure I knew what I did was stupid,” Tetsurou said, although he couldn’t help but grin as he remembered Kenma telling him he _cared_. “You’ve raised him well, Yaku.”

Yaku scoffed. “Just go to sleep.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Tetsurou yawned, feeling heaviness hit him like a wave as he laid down on his bed. In less than a second, his eyes closed and his body fell into a sea of warm dreamlessness.

Tetsurou woke up that morning with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter was supposed to be something a lot more plot heavy and was supposed to be with karasuno, but nothing i was writing worked, so i decided to approach it from a different angle. it just was more natural to talk about what happened with the UOME shutting down tokyo with the people who live in tokyo as opposed to the miyagi guys discussing it like i had planned. 
> 
> the plot is going to start really picking up pace and i hope that some of the things i have planned in the future don't make you guys too angry with me lmao
> 
> thank you for reading!


	13. These To Shun, Or Those Embrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nasty, just nasty all around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you are uncomfortable with smut, control+f to "Hey, Kageyama," or just skip the entire first section
> 
> Peaceful wealth, or painful toil,  
> Chance of war, or civil broil,  
> 'Tis not for man's feeble race  
> These to shun, or those embrace.  
> But that all-disposing Fate  
> Which presides o'er mortal state,  
> Where it listeth, casts its shroud  
> Of impenetrable cloud. 
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Bacchylides ( _The Cloud of Fate_ )

_I’m nasty. I’m so nasty. I’m a nasty, awful person_ , Suga thought as he walked awkwardly past Daichi to their shared shower, already half hard in his loose shorts from the emotional residue of arousal cloaking the bathroom. Sometimes being an empath was hard ( _no pun intended_ , he thought bitterly). Especially when you were extremely attracted to your roommate who just so happens to be a boy that just masturbated in your _shared_ shower.

Daichi shut the door behind him, leaving Suga to his own devices in their bathroom.

Suga rubbed a hand over his forehead before stripping himself to bathe. A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he moved closer to the shower and he wished and prayed that his dick would flag, at least a little bit, so that he could wash himself without feeling the cold flush of guilt that always seemed to pour over him when he showered after Daichi had, um, _yeah_.

Suga turned on the water and ran his hands over the tops of his thighs as he tried to calm down. If only emotional residue faded as easily as cum. If only it would just wash down the drain to the gutter where it belonged. Suga savagely grabbed the shampoo bottle, lathering it into his hands and then his hair. He closed his eyes as his fingers filtered through, trying to chase away a heated image of Daichi grabbing his hair and yanking him down further onto his dick when Suga sucked it. Suga caught a breath groaning to himself. Of course, even _shampooing_ would somehow turn sexual with him.

Suga is a nasty, nasty person.

Suga continued pulling his hair, letting himself fall back to rest on the wall of the shower, the fingers of his other hand chasing the stream of water down his body. His hand fit loosely around his dick, giving a few pumps as he yanked his hair. Yeah, he thinks, as he imagines Daichi watching him get himself off (because Suga _does_ , admittedly, have a _slight_ exhibition kink), Daichi would watch him come, getting hard himself, and then he’d grab Suga’s head and kiss him, deeply, passionately, _lovingly_ , (because _god,_ in Suga’s mind, Daichi was so in love with him, just as much as he was in love with Daichi, and it was such a _good_ thought, even though it would never happen), before Suga would lean forward and take Daichi into his mouth.

Suga had always wondered what it would be like to suck Daichi’s cock, if it would be warm and if he could feel it throb with arousal. He always wondered what it would be like to lap over the veins and taste Daichi’s precum and lick Daichi’s slit. He always wondered if it would get Daichi off the way he _thought_ it would. He wondered how _hot_ their sex could be with his ability to know _exactly_ what Daichi felt, what he liked the best. He wondered if it was cruel to want to suck Daichi to the point of bursting and then deny him release.

Suga moaned lowly as he thought of it, of Daichi, aching, swollen, red, beneath him begging for Suga to let him finish, Suga’s hand moved from his hair and to his ass as he fingered the cleft of his cheeks, swirling around his entrance before plunging a finger in, because as he thought of Daichi begging him, Suga was overcome with the urge to give him that release. In a perfect world, Suga would grin, and say something sexy, just to see Daichi unravel even more, before sitting himself down onto Daichi’s cock, taking him to the hilt, slowly, deliberately, and then ride him hard. His finger moved in and out before he added another one.

He’d meet Daichi’s thrusts as they happened, and they would be perfect together, knowing just what to do for one another. Suga fingered the slit of his cock with his fingernail, his breathing ragged.

And then, when it would all be too much, Daichi would come inside Suga and Suga would feel Daichi in him, and Suga would come all over Daichi’s stomach, and then Daichi wouldn’t be able to do anything –he’d be so boneless when Suga was done with him –and Suga would lay down on top of him and he’d kiss Daichi with all the love in the world and Daichi would tell him how much he loved and adored him and-

Suga came with a low moan, his eyes opening as he watched his release drain out of the shower. He sighed, closing his eyes and sinking down a bit, letting the shampoo wash out of his hair.

After taking a moment to recover, he grabbed the bar of soap and kept washing, wishing for everything and wanting for more.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Kageyama?”

Kageyama sighed at the little guy’s voice. It sounded apprehensive, so Kageyama could assume that it was going to be a more invasive question. There was a pause before Kageyama _realized_ what was about to be asked.

“No,” he cut in before Hinata could open his mouth again. “I’m not going to answer that.”

“But, Kageyama-.”

“I said _no_ , Hinata,” Kageyama’s voice was colder than he’d intended and he _felt_ more than watched Hinata flinch. Kageyama closed his eyes as he repeated the hateful things he knew were true ( _Lo_ ok **what y** ou did you u lti mat e _fuc_ k up you can ‘t d o a _nyth_ in g r igh t _y ou des troy everyt hi_ ng **yo u t o u c h** ). Even now, months after _that_ happened, he’s still haunted. _Hunted_. By the things he can’t fix, can’t even begin to fix. The truth about himself, who he is, what he does.

He feels a small hand touch his arm lightly, and he’s shocked because he didn’t even _sense_ Hinata coming near him, or the touch coming close, like he usually would. He stares at Hinata, his eyes focusing on the bruising of Hinata’s face, the edges of his vision white and blurry. Hinata bites his bottom lip before he wraps his arms around Kageyama’s middle.

“Hey,” he tries again. “You don’t have to tell me if you really don’t want to, but I just,” Hinata pauses again and Kageyama shifts in his arms. Hinata seems to remember that he’s still hugging Kageyama and pulls away slightly, but his hand is still resting on Kageyama’s thigh. Kageyama wonders when he started to feel comfortable with someone touching him and when Hinata started feeling comfortable enough to do it. “I just think that maybe if you talk about whatever it is, you’ll feel better. What Suga said, during the three on three about _learning_ -.”

“I don’t need some damn empath’s advice about how to deal with myself, alright?” Kageyama growls, but he can’t seem to bring himself to push Hinata away. It scares him that it feels so right to be touched, so right to be comforted.

“But, Kageyama, aren’t empaths like _experts_ one emotion? That’s kinda what Suga specializes in.”

Kageyama reaches out and grabs Hinata’s head, squeezing it, but not really hurting him, because Hinata’s face was still swollen and bruised. “That doesn’t matter, _dumbass_ , I don’t want to _talk about it_. So I’m _not going to_.”

Hinata frowns, but doesn’t try to remove Kageyama’s hand. “When I was in your head, I saw things and felt things and if you’ve been carrying around that burden for so long, that’s a _lot_. That’s a lot of just… just…” Hinata purses his lips, trying to find the right words. “ _Hatred_.”

Kageyama feels like the ground has disappeared from under him and his spine burns hot with cold and he feels like the world is going to collapse, because, _nonono_ , someone can’t _know_ how he feels about himself, it’s different when someone _says_ it, Kageyama can’t _ignore_ it then.

Hinata’s hand rubs his thigh and he tries to smile, though it looks a little grotesque on his healing face.

“Hey, hey, Kageyama, look at me,” Hinata tries again, his other hand moving from his lap to Kageyama’s face, lightly touching his cheek. Kageyama glances at him and his hand falls from the top of Hinata’s head to the back of his neck. There’s silence, and Kageyama realizes that Hinata is waiting for him to say something.

Kageyama panics, on the inside, but Hinata’s hand keeps a gently firm touch on his cheek, and his thumb presses slightly harder than his other fingers and palm. When it’s clear that Kageyama isn’t going to say anything anytime soon because he thinks that he’s forgotten how, Hinata gets that determined look in his eyes he usually reserves for battling, or convincing Kageyama of doing something Kageyama knows is a bad idea.

“When Suga used Emotional Inundation on you during that battle, I was so afraid because I’d never seen you break down like that and I felt how you were feeling. It made me so scared because all of that anger was directed at yourself. I just had to help you, I felt it so deeply in me that I messed up when I was fighting Tanaka. I don’t think _anyone_ should ever feel like that. So, I want to help you, with whatever has happened to you. I didn’t get a clear look at the memories, but I know that you were in so much pain.”

Kageyama sucks in a breath, and he feels something hot burn beneath his eyes. He doesn’t know how to respond to that, because even though it had happened a few months ago, that _accident_ ( _punishment, retribution_ ) was still so raw in his mind and in his body. He’s not really sure what face he’s making as Hinata’s brown eyes search over it, but Hinata seems to find something because his eyebrow furrows and his sucks at his cheek but he nods and draws away.

“If you don’t want to talk about it right now, that’s okay,” Hinata tells him, “but just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me, I guess.”

Kageyama nods, because it feels right, and hears more than sees Hinata get off his bed.

“I’m going to go and get something to eat from the kitchen. Do you want anything?”

Kageyama paused as he worked on forcing his voice out of his throat. “Maybe a meat bun.”

Hinata flashes him a smile ( _how did he do that so easily?_ ) and walks out of the room, a light flush on his cheeks.

 

* * *

 

As soon as he shuts the door behind him, Shouyou’s face lights up into a blush. He feels so embarrassed he said all those _things_ to _Kageyama_ and it was _emotional_ and _oh my **god**_.

Shouyou really hoped he hadn’t overstepped his bounds, but the images he’d seen in Kageyama’s mind had been bouncing around his conscious ever since the fight. If Shouyou was honest with himself, he couldn’t handle the feelings that he’d somehow how absorbed (?) from Kageyama. It was too strong, too powerful. Shouyou had never felt such an intense hatred in his life.

It made Shouyou realize that even though they were rivals, he didn’t _hate_ Kageyama. It wasn’t anywhere near hatred. If anything, it was _grudging respect_ and _admiration_ sprinkled with some fierce competitive _jealousy_ , but it was not _hatred_.

And, realizing that he didn’t hate Kageyama, came with a new realm of comfort. Not hating Kageyama made it easier to live with him. It also made Shouyou feel some amount of care and worry over Kageyama’s mental health. Shouyou may not know a lot about mental health, he’s not really that smart, but he has a vague knowledge that hating yourself that intensely isn’t good. And even though he may not like Kageyama that much, he still didn’t want anyone to ever feel that way.

But, that didn’t mean he wasn’t embarrassed.

He put his hands on his cheeks, and breaths out as he goes to walk into the kitchen.

“I can’t believe I said all those things,” Shouyou mutters to himself.

“What things?” Yamaguchi asks from where he’s sitting at the table next to Tsukishima, the two of them doing their homework. Tsukishima barely spared him a glance.

“Probably something that made the King throw him out of the room.”

Shouyou rolled his eyes, quelling his anger. He wasn’t sure exactly where his newfound camaraderie with Kageyama came from, but it made him really, _really_ mad when Tsukishima insinuated such nasty things about him.

“It’s nothing like that at all, I’m actually here to get us some meat buns. Suga ran to the store earlier today, right?”

“Yeah, he did,” Yamaguchi answers in lieu of whatever jibe Tsukishima was prepared to release upon his so-called enemy. Shouyou was so done with Tsukishima’s bad attitude, and they’d only been living together for three weeks. Shouyou wasn’t sure _what_ he’d do if he’d have to stay around Tsukishima indefinitely. “I think he picked up some more pork ones.”

Shouyou hums in response sticks two in the microwave to heat up.

“You know, Kageyama’s been acting a little weird lately,” Yamaguchi says with a hint of concern in his voice. Tsukishima sighs, as if he’s such a martyr trying to bring himself to care about Kageyama, as per his best friend’s request. “More… angry? Did something happen between you two, Hinata?”

“No,” Shouyou says. “It’s just that he’s been having some trouble adjusting to team life.”

Tsukishima snorts. “Well, with what happened to him last year, I wouldn’t doubt that.”

Shouyou felt cold, caught between _wanting_ to know and wanting _Kageyama_ to tell him. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t heard?” Tsukishima begins, but Yamaguchi puts a hand on his arm.

“Tsukki, maybe you shouldn’t, I mean,” he clears his throat, obviously unsure when telling Tsukishima not to do something that he wants to, “it’s not really your story to tell?”

“Hardly,” Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “It was all over the news: the tyrannical controller overthrown by his lowly citizens in a violent revolution.”

“I doubt it was said like that,” Shouyou rolls his eyes in a mocking gesture.

“Are you curious to know, shrimpy?” Tsukishima asks him. Shouyou frowns. Of _course_ he is, but he also was telling the truth when he said that Kageyama could talk to him about it, and it feels almost like cheating if he hears from Tsukishima. He wants to make Kageyama trust him, though he isn’t very sure why, and he feels that if he learns from Tsukishima now, it will only be a step back from his new objective.

“Kageyama will tell me,” Shouyou answers. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi raise their eyebrows.

“The king said he’d do that?”

“Y _es_ ,” Shouyou lies. Kageyama hadn’t _really_ said that he would, but his silence had been answer enough: he was thinking about it.

Tsukishima hums, his face thoughtful, before he shrugs. “I really couldn’t care less about what the king wants or needs. If he wants to tell you, not my business.”

Shouyou nods, unsure what else to say, and takes the meat buns out of the microwave, going to bring them back to his roommate. There’s the scraping of a chair across the linoleum floor and Yamaguchi follows him out.

“Ah, Hinata,” Yamaguchi beings. Shouyou turns around, confused, as he watches Yamaguchi struggle with himself before giving Shouyou a small, sweet smile, a slight blush lighting up his freckles. “I think it’s good that Kageyama is opening up to someone. I know a bit about general psychology, and, well, it’s just good that he’s recovering from what happened. I think that you’ll be good for him.”

Shouyou flushed, not really knowing how he should take that, but he returns Yamaguchi smile and Shouyou can see the anxiousness crumble away from the taller boy. “Thanks, Yamaguchi. I think it’ll be good for him, too.”

 

* * *

 

Tanaka punches the wall, and Ennoshita is immensely relieved to see that he was able to restrain himself from making a dent, or, worse making a _hole_ (which Daichi would make _him_ clean up with mortar and cement, making two cemented holes in the wall next to Tanaka’s headboard). Ennoshita clicked closed his pen and set his notebook down on his bedside table (obviously, Tanaka needed to talk, which meant Ennoshita’s newest screenplay would be put on hold).

“What happened this time?” Ennoshita asks drily, though he was concerned. The last time Tanaka had rampaged had been because of Nishinoya’s arrest and suspension.

“Those _fucking_ ,” Tanaka’s face contorts even further than it does when he tries to intimidate, “ _UOME_ assholes locked down Tokyo just because some board members were injured.”

“Well, they _were_ government officials,” Ennoshita says rationally. It makes sense that a curfew was put in place. However, the _problem_ , wasn’t that, Ennoshita knew, the problem was-

“Yeah, but they put the curfew _only_ on marked people! That’s the issue! The deaths weren’t even evaluated, they just say that strange circle emblem and decided it was one of us. It could just be nomarks setting us up.”

Ennoshita couldn’t deny that possibility, however, he always felt drawn to play devil’s advocate, that’s what made him a good writer: his ability to see the different sides of a situation. “Yes, but it’s just as likely that it’s another organization. Our organization can’t be the only one. There’s a lot of angry marked people who don’t want peace, but superiority. It would make sense that they’d find each other and act on that mob mentality.”

Tanaka pulls a face. “What, you telling me that you’re _agreeing_ with the curfew on Tokyo? Is that why you didn’t go to the meeting?”

Ennoshita sighs. In all honesty, he’d joined because all of his friends joined and he hadn’t really understood what being a Peacemonger meant. Of course, he agrees with their goal and message, but still, he didn’t feel the same kind of loyalty to it that Tanaka, Narita, and Kinoshita did.

“I already told you. I was busy with my screenplay. And no, I don’t agree with the curfew. If they put a curfew on us, they have to put it on everyone to be equal.”

Tanaka nods, satisfied with his response. He leans back on his bed, his hands cushioning the back of his buzzed head. “Well, if it _is_ another organization, we’re going to have some trouble on our hands. At the meeting, after the new guy left, old man Ukai said that he thinks a war is brewing.”

“Well,” Ennoshita starts, picking up his notebook and clicking open his pen as he starts to work on the script again, revising a few lines of dialogue he had written earlier, “I wouldn’t really be surprised.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is shorter than i had intended but i didn't want to beat it into the ground more than i already did. kageyama is really hard for me to write, but i wanted to go ahead and try my hand at it


	14. An Open Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> takeda is too smart and ukai is a dead man in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You fit into me  
> like a hook into an eye
> 
> a fish hook  
> an open eye
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Margaret Atwood ( _You Fit Into Me Poem_ )

“Do you really think that kid will join?” Ukai asks, leaning backwards against the wall behind the counter of his shop. There is the crackle of a sigh over the receiver of the phone.

“I mean, he seemed to agree with Gramps’ speech, but joining us is a pretty big deal. I wouldn’t really blame him if he doesn’t. Hell, I almost didn’t either, but I craved power, and saw our organization as the best way to gain it. Iwaizumi seems to want power as well, but the power to _protect_ , as opposed to the power to _win_ , like I wanted.”

“I know that, that’s why I approached him when I did. I do feel bad about manipulating when he was vulnerable, but Gramps was riding my ass about recruiting him for _months_ ,” Ukai ruffles the back of his hair and watches the ceiling fan turn. “I also feel bad when I see all the kids we have right now. They’re so young, too young to be involved with us. It’ll ruin their future and put them into so many dangerous situations when Gramps clears them for missions.”

“We were their age when we joined too, Keishin,” Shimada comments, but he too sounds a little down-trodden at the thought. “And you had no chance to decline, because your Grandfather raised you in the Peacemongers. But I understand what you’re saying. It’s a lot more dangerous now than it was when we were young, even. Remember what happened the Tsukishima kid? He was so sweet,” Ukai could _feel_ Shimada shiver on his end of the line. “I still have nightmares about what happened.”

“I try not to remember that. We really fucked him over, you know? Even though I wasn’t there, I still feel so responsible. But it’s like Grandpa says, there’s no use beating a dead horse,” Ukai sighs, rubbing his face before reaching into his apron pocket to take out a cigarette. He absentmindedly lights it, keeping a nice heat in the tips of his fingers. He takes a drag and taps his fingers on an old receipt, liking the way turns from white, to brown, to a burn. The silence between the two friends stretches on for a bit before Shimada picks up on a short, comical story about dramatic argument he saw two teenagers engage in in the train station earlier in the week.

The bells above the door to the shop jingle, and Ukai raises an eyebrow as he watches Takeda walk quickly in, his breathing slightly labored, and an anxious laugh rising from his lips. His comes over to the counter and leans on it, his back arching and his big brown eyes even wider than normal.

“Shimada, I’ll call you back,” Ukai says, astutely ignoring Shimada’s giggled out “Tell the boyfriend I said hi,” and looks questioningly at Takeda. Ukai’s known Takeda for a while, and he’s seen him in various stages of distress –whether it be over a failing student, a fellow teacher, his precious Battle Unit, or his drunken bemoans of life and the world in general –but he’s never seen Takeda like _this_. Suit rumpled in a way that wasn’t in line with Takeda’s usual clumsiness, his bitten lip, his hands balled into fists so tight his knuckles turn white, it’s just not _Takeda_ , and Ukai doesn’t like seeing Takeda looking so… _fearful_. Yes, that’s the word. Ukai’s seen Takeda _worried_ , anxious, even, but never _fearful_.

Takeda smiles at him and plucks the cigarette from Ukai’s lips. “This’ll give you cancer, you know, babe?”

Though Ukai is shocked by the use of _babe_ , since he and Takeda _aren’t_ together, even if he wouldn’t necessarily _mind_ dating the overly kind Keeper, he isn’t stupid. With Takeda acting so afraid of _something_ , Ukai decides to play along with him, at least to give the teacher a little bit of relief.

Ukai laughs and takes the cigarette back, letting their fingers linger together slightly. “Ittetsu, we’ve been over this. It doesn’t affect me the same because of my mark.”

Relief filters over Takeda’s face as he understands that Ukai is silently agreeing to help him. “I know, you keep telling me that, but I still worry about you…”

Ukai smiles at him, genuinely, because he knows that Takeda does indeed worry about him. That part of whatever is happening right now isn’t fake. “Why are you standing over there? Come sit with me.”

Takeda scurries around the desk and pecks Ukai on the cheek, whispering _Sorry, I’ll explain I swear, just play along for a bit_ , as he pulls back. Ukai nods at him, because even if he and Takeda aren’t dating and even if Takeda is a little annoying, always trying to get him to coach those teens, they’re still friends. And if Ukai is anything, it’s loyal.

Takeda grabs a second stool from the backroom and brings it to sit next to Ukai’s, closer than he’d usually sit. Ukai leans to whisper in his ear. “What exactly is going on?”

Takeda gulps. “You see those two boys in the snack aisle?”

Ukai nods. “What about them?”

“They’ve been following me since I left the school. They aren’t wearing Karasuno gakuran. I’m not really sure what they want.”

Ukai observes the way they are looking around, but not buying anything. He also observes how much bigger they are than Takeda who is on the smaller side. “You think they want to _do_ something to you?”

Takeda flushes and nods. “You were the only person I could turn to,” he pauses and twiddles his thumbs in his lap as he continues, “Because I figured that if they wanted to hurt me, you could protect me, and if they wanted to, you know, _do_ things to me, they might go away if they think that I’m taken. And I trust you, so I came straight here, as fast as I could.”

Ukai feels a little embarrassed, and there’s a little fluttering in his stomach that he feels sometimes when he’s with Takeda. “I’ll definitely keep you safe. We’re friends, after all. Even if you’re sometimes a little annoying with your persistence that I come train your kids.”

Takeda’s face lights up and Ukai tries not to think about how cute it is and how excitement looks so much better on him than fear. “Speaking of my kids! I wanted to tell you! I arranged for a camp with Nekoma! I know that you really don’t want anything to do with them, but I’d really like for them to be good enough to match up with Nekoma’s strength,” he laughs. “And I kind of used your name to get them to agree.”

There is a lull as Ukai’s mind processes that information before he leaps into action, his hands gripping Takeda’s shoulders. Ukai shook him.

“Ittetsu! When did you become so seductive? Are you trying to seduce me?”

Takeda’s eyes go wide as Ukai yells. One of the teenage boys drops the can of fruit he had been so interested in for the past few minutes at Ukai’s outburst. Takeda puts a hand on top of Ukai’s and give him a smile.

“Oh? What’s this? Finally interested, _Keishin_?”

Ukai huffs and puffs as he starts to calm down again. Nekoma. Ukai _knows_ Nekoma. Not only were they rivals when he was in high school and participating in a battle unit, but Nekomata is the leader of the Tokyo PM branch (not that their branch had been very active of late). He and Grandpa Ukai had a _very_ intense rivalry in the past, so it was no wonder he accepted when he heard that an Ukai was still working there. Come to think of it, Nekomata probably doesn’t even know that Gramps had quit teaching the Karasuno Battle Unit.

That would definitely be a surprise for old Nekomata when he and his unit arrive at Karasuno. Ukai thinks about the old friend he’d had at Nekoma back in the day and vaguely wonders if he’s still involved with everything, or if he got out of Ukai’s kind of life.

“Well,” Ukai says with a blush. “I wouldn’t want Nekoma to pity Karasuno or anything.”

Takeda beams at him and Ukai feels compelled to continue and accept Takeda’s proposal. Ukai opens his mouth again, a strange feeling in his stomach at the thought of teaching children how to fight and kill effectively. Takeda’s smile gets wider and wider as he sees Ukai’s brain turning around the situation.

Ukai sighs. “I mean, it wouldn’t look good after the intense rivalry we had. I guess it wouldn’t hurt for me to help them for a few weeks as they get ready to fight with Nekoma.”

Takeda gasps. “Really? You’d really do that, Keishin?”

Ukai sniffs and looks away. “I just said I would, didn’t I, Ittetsu?”

Takeda whoops and altogether doesn’t look like an almost thirty year old man. Ukai smiles despite himself at the teacher’s behavior. Ukai looks at the clock then at the two teenage boys who were still loitering around in the store.

“Hey,” he calls out to them. They both turn to look at him. “The store’s closing. You two need to leave.”

The two look at each other and seem to have a silent conversation before they nod at him and start to walk out of the store, conversing in low tones. Ukai narrows his eyes at them when he notice the shorter one has _something_ under his chin.

_If that’s a mark, well,_ Ukai thinks, _shit_. He remembers the conversation he and Takeda had had where Takeda remarked about his fear of being murdered as other keepers had been all around the Miyagi area. Ukai also remembers telling Takeda not to worry about it and assuring him it _wasn’t_ because of the PM. Ukai feels stupid and a little afraid for the small man. He shouldn’t have told Takeda not to feel fear.

Ukai stands up from his seat and starts close down the shop, Takeda still sitting on his own stool behind the counter. Ukai starts to sweep the floor so he has more time to think and won’t have to clean in the morning. If those kids _are_ a part of whatever group had been murdering keepers, then Ukai needs to make sure Takeda is _safe_. There is always the chance they aren’t after Takeda, at least in the vein of murder. Either way, Takeda felt threatened and Ukai isn’t about to tell him he shouldn’t be, at least not after seeing what looked like a psionic mark on one of the teenagers.

“Ukai-kun,” Takeda begins. “Thanks for letting me wait those two out in here.”

“Don’t mention it, Takeda,” Ukai tells him and puts the broom away in the back room. “You were right to come here. I think those kids were marked.”

“Well, marked kids aren’t violent naturally,” Takeda says, as if Ukai himself isn’t marked.

“Sensei, don’t you remember what you told me? About the keepers being killed? I think it was smart of you to come here for protection.”

“Oh,” Takeda lets out a shaky breath. Ukai watches with alarm as he starts to stand up, grabbing his briefcase, his face pale. “I should probably get going home. I have a lot of papers to grade.”

“Sensei, wait,” Ukai rushes forward and takes the briefcase from the teacher’s hands, giving him a stern look. “I’ll walk you home. I know the kids seem to have left, but you never know. They could be waiting to follow you home. It’s not safe.”

Takeda nods. “I realize. I don’t want to cause you any trouble, Ukai-kun.” He gives Ukai a meaningful look that Ukai interprets as _knowing_ and Ukai feels cowed. Does Takeda know he’s a Peacemonger? Why hadn’t Takeda done something about it? Ukai shakes off the worry though, as something to fret about later, once this kind man wasn’t in any perceived danger.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Sensei,” Ukai tells him very directly, because he really isn’t _sure_ Takeda knows. “But what I _am_ sure about is that I don’t feel that you’re safe and I want to make sure you are,” he tries to make his voice sound gruff to cover up the embarrassment he feels. “And you’re one of my friends. I don’t want to see you get hurt, especially if I could have prevented it.”

Takeda looks over Ukai’s face and lingers on his eyes before he smiles to himself and nods. “Thank you for being such a good friend, Ukai-kun. I’d love it if you walked me home.”

Ukai gives him a grin back and hands Takeda’s briefcase back to him. Ukai flips off the lights and locks the door to his shop before the two start heading down the path to Takeda’s apartment. Ukai’s been to Takeda’s before, for his last birthday, actually, with a small group of other people, but he’s always impressed by the size. He guesses it shows the difference between a successful man and an unsuccessful man. Just another reason why they wouldn’t work out, he reminds himself.

They go up to his apartment with little problem, although Ukai can feel too much heat behind them. _Come on, Keishin,_ he tries to calm himself down, a ball of tension tightening in his belly. _You’re literally in an apartment complex. Of **course** you’re going to be feeling heat behind you. It’s probably nothing. Those kids are long gone by now, probably_.

Takeda looks up at him from outside his door and puts his hand on his knob as he unlocks it. Ukai stands a little stiffly next to him, unsure of what to do because while he did walk Takeda home out of fear for his safety, he still feels some outward tension over something (and Ukai’s not a _child_ he _knows_ what this tension is. He knows that he wants to kiss Takeda. He _knows_. But sometimes he puts himself into real denial to protect himself from something he fears will hurt him worse: losing Takeda as a friend. And if he needs to pretend like he doesn’t know that he’s trying not to stare at Takeda’s lips to protect that, then he will).

Takeda’s face is a little flushed. “Thank you for walking me home, Ukai-kun.”

“Don’t mention it, Sensei. Like I said, I really value you and your friendship.”

Takeda nods, looking happy as he goes to open his door. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, see you then,” Ukai grins before he puts a hand on the door to stop it from closing. Takeda looks up at him, expecting something that Ukai doesn’t understand (because there’s no way Takeda feels the same tension he does, it’s not like Takeda _wants_ him to kiss him), but it makes Ukai blush anyway. “Um, when do you need me at the school tomorrow? For the kids.”

Takeda seems to jolt a little bit and looks to the side, a little disappointed, maybe, before fixing Ukai with a smile. “Well, tomorrow’s a total battle day, so the kids will start practice around 10.”

Ukai nods. “I’ll be over around that time then. I’ll arrange something with the other employees to cover my shift. I own the store, so it’s not like it’ll be too hard.”

“That’s good to hear. I’d hate impose on your business.”

Ukai laughs loudly. “A little late for that, Sensei. But like I said, don’t mention it. I agreed to teach them for a while of my own volition. Though, you were _very_ persistent.”

Takeda laughs at him. “It’s one of my better qualities.”

“I don’t know, you’ve got a lot of good qualities. It’s kinda hard to choose just one.”

Takeda blushes and shifts forward toward Ukai and Ukai feels embarrassment at his fucking _awful_ flirting because didn’t he _just_ decide to let it go? “O-Oh? Do tell, Ukai-kun. What are my _good qualities_?”

Ukai pulls at the color of his jacket, a little unsure of where to go with the flirtation now. “Well, you’re smart and kind. And yeah, you’re persistent, but you’re also compassionate and considerate of others. You’re polite and you have a way with making people comfortable around you and you’re accepting and you’ve _never, ever_ treated my any differently because of my mark, and, well, there’s a lot of good things about you, Sensei.”

Takeda’s cheeks are a nice pink color and he’s twiddling his fingers together as he stares at Ukai like he’s the Coming of fucking Christ. He’s looking at him like he doesn’t see those things about himself.

“I think there are a lot of good things about you, too, Ukai-kun. You’re very independent and a tireless worker. You’re good with the finances of your store and you’re so kind to your employees. You care a lot, and I always found it admirable that you didn’t want to coach because you didn’t want to see the kids get hurt. I think you care a lot about a lot of things and you’re very protective and loyal, probably one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met. You’re a good person and no matter what you do, I think that you’re doing it for the right reasons.”

Ukai stares at Takeda and is overcome with the urge to do something, show the man how much he means to him, kiss him, love him, _anything_. “Sensei, I, that means a lot to hear. It really does.”

Takeda nods at him and the tension is palpable, at least to Ukai. “Well, Ukai-kun. I guess it’s getting a little late.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. I guess I should get going then. Let you work on your grading.”

“Right, grading,” Takeda says as if grading is the last thing on his mind. It’s the last thing on Ukai’s mind. They look at each of for a few moments before Takeda reaches out and squeezes Ukai’s upper arm lightly, affectionately. “Goodnight Ukai-kun.”

“’Night, Sensei,” he replies and Takeda closes the door quietly behind him. Ukai stares at it for a few seconds before he grins to himself. So maybe he has a _slightly_ bigger chance to date Takeda than he previously thought. Maybe it’s a _little_ okay to hope that one day he’ll gain the courage to _actually_ kiss him goodnight at the door. He walks down the hall, feeling like he’s walking on air.

* * *

He opens the door to the gym, a little after half past 10, and observes the kids training. They’re rough, is his first impression. Some of them seem to know more of what they’re doing than others (he’d guess those are the ones who were taught by his grandpa before he quit) while others do not know what they’re doing.

Takeda sees him first and seems to _skip_ over to him.

“Ukai-kun! You came!”

He pulls at the collar of his jacket. “I said I was going to, didn’t I?”

Takeda smiles at him and grabs him by the wrist, taking him closer to the small spars and psionic meditation.

“Daichi!” Takeda calls and one of the kids who seem to know what they’re doing turns around from where he was working one on one with a small orange child. He has a look of responsibility around him. Daichi comes over to him, looking at Ukai with unveiled curiosity.

“What’s up, Sensei? Who’s this?”

“This is the grandson of your last coach. He agreed to help teach you all!”

Daichi nods at him, looking serious and bows slightly. “I look forward to working with you, then.” He stands back up and turns to Takeda once more. “I’ll get everyone over here to meet him.”

Daichi musters up the rest of Karasuno and they all crowd around Ukai with enthusiasm. Well, most of them crowd around Ukai with enthusiasm. Ukai makes eye-contact with the second years before tearing his eyes away from them. They know he can’t let the rest of the team realize they’re all part of the Peacemongers.

“I’m Ukai Keishin. Takeda has asked me to coach you guys for your upcoming match with Nekoma. I haven’t been involved with battle units since I was here, so bear with me. I’ll do my best to teach you.”

“Thank you!” the group says all at once and look at him expectantly, waiting for instruction. Ukai realizes he should have planned better for this ahead of time.

“Right, so first, I want to get to know you guys a little more. Tell me your names, marks, and what you are currently trying to achieve with them. What do you want your mark to do for you or for others? We can start with the third years first.”

Daichi steps forward. “Sawamura Daichi. I have the dimensional mark of teleportation. Currently, I’m trying to learn how to navigate the nether. I think by learning more about it, since it’s the basis of all dimensional abilities, I’ll be able to not only make myself stronger, but help other dimensionals reach their potential as well.”

“Sugawara Koushi. I have the psionic mark of empathy. Right now, I’m trying to combine telepathy and empathy to read the “thoughts” of emotions. I think that if I can do that, it will lead to me being able to use my empathy to heal.”

“I’m Ennoshita Chikara. I have the psionic mark of telekinesis. I have been working on my homing technique.”

“Tanaka Ryuunosuke, somatic, selective bodily enhancement, and I want to start working on my enhancement speed. Making my shifts between body parts faster.”

“Kinoshita Hisashi. I have the somatic mark of hemeokinesis. I’ve been working on manifesting my blood outside of my body and keeping control over it.”

“Narita Kazuhito. I have the somatic mark of regeneration. I want to heal people by externalizing my regeneration.”

Ukai hid a smile at that. He had already been helping Kazuhito learn how to do that during their weekly PM meetings. Maybe coaching wouldn’t be that hard after all –if he could get over the queasiness he feels when he thinks about these kids fighting other kids with the intention to do harm and have harm done to themselves.

The first years look at each other before the small orange child decides it’s his turn to go. He gives Ukai a dazzling (slightly nervous) smile and his shoulders are around his cheeks in excitement (tension?). He leans forward.

“I’m Hinata Shouyou and I have a dimensional mark of gravity manipulation! I want to be able to become the strongest and be the next Small Giant! I also want to beat Kageyama,” he shoots a look that’s half jealous-half affectionate to the tall dark haired boy at his side. “I don’t really know how to use my mark well now, because I wasn’t sure what it was or that it was dimensional until Daichi told me. But I think it would be cool to manipulate the gravity around others, not just myself!”

Ukai gives him a grin back and the boy seems to be happy with that. Ukai feels fondness for him and wishes he was born into a better caste of life, one where he wouldn’t have to fight for every little thing in a system that allows them little pride.

The tall freckled boy (he’s probably actually taller than Ukai, wow) goes next. “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi. I have a psionic mark that allows me to create illusions. I’m not very good either, but I hope that I utilize it well later on. Maybe to help people both marked and unmarked? I’m not really sure. My mark isn’t the best when it comes to battling, so.”

“I actually have a friend who could help you with that,” Ukai tells him. “He says his mark is “dream manipulation,” but he can use it to affect people who are awake,” Ukai snaps. “Actually, that gives me an idea. I have some adult marked friends who’d be willing to help battle you guys and train you.”

The group mutters to each other before they all nod in agreement and give him a very loud affirmative. Ukai makes a mental note to call Shimada and the rest of the PM to come and help them. He looks at the last two first years expectantly, but he realizes it won’t do much. The two (one of them is a Tsukishima, Ukai remembers him, how could he forget?) are already locked in a stare down with one another, as if trying to mentally command the other to go first.

Ukai takes control of the situation. “Alright, you can go next,” he points to the black haired guy Hinata had made a comment about. The Tsukishima makes a nasty face at him and the darker one scowls back.

“Kageyama Tobio. I’m psionic with precognition. I want to enhance my physical abilities to react to my intuition faster. Also, I believe I’ve been having prophetic dreams and would like to work on controlling those visions.”

Ukai nods and gestures to the Tsukishima. The Tsukishima looks down at him, even though he’s sitting on the ground. “I’m Tsukishima Kei. I have a somatic mark of duplication.  I don’t really have any plans for my power and I don’t really care because this entire system is mandatory.”

Ukai shrugs. “You aren’t wrong. We’ll find something for you to work on.”

Tsukishima seems less than thrilled by his less than angry response. Ukai thinks it’s funny, how different he is from Akiteru and how different he is than he was as a child (though Ukai knows Tsukishima doesn’t remember him, and he can’t stop the rush of _relief_ because at least now it’s easier to look him in the face.). He addresses the group next.

“You all seem to have a lot of potential and I look forward to working with you,” he turns to Daichi. “What have you guys done so far?”

“We’ve done some stretches and we ran laps for 10 minutes.”

Ukai nods. “Good idea. The first way to hone your mark ability is to strengthen your physical body. You all seem to be rested enough. I want you to run laps for 20 minutes, or until you get done with 12 laps. Afterwards, break into pairs and come to me for your next instructions. You won’t choose your pairs, you will be working with the people who finish running with you. If you’re the first one finished with your 12 laps, then you will be partnered with the second, and so on. Ready?”

The boys scramble up and jog to the track around the battle court, stretching their legs. Well, the Tsukishima doesn’t. Ukai suspects he’ll need a little more encouragement than the rest to become stronger. Ukai feels something cold and small and metal be placed in his hand and he looks to see Takeda smirking at him ( _Good god that’s sexy,_ he thinks and wants to slap himself for being inappropriate in a school). He smirks back and puts the whistle between his lips. He turns back to the kids and blows it.

They take off running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, the story's been more on the light-hearted side. While I don't ever like spoiling anything, I feel like it'd be good to give a warning that there are dark skies on the horizon and stormy seas approaching. I hope you'll all be able to weather the storm with me for it's duration!


	15. Interchanging Mind Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yamaguchi and hinata find something, kageyama's power develops, and the suspicion of things going to shit starts to take root

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Interchanging mind control_  
>  Come let the revolution take its toll if you could  
> Flick a switch and open your third eye, you'd see that  
> We should never be afraid to die
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Muse ( _Uprising_ )

Shouyou really, really likes Ukai. Even though their new coach looks like a delinquent with his pulled back bleach hair, he’s good at teaching and Shouyou can _feel_ himself getting stronger than he was with only the upperclassmen’s guidance. Daichi’s always been a huge help, with them being the only two dimensionals on the team, but Ukai’s been having Karasuno do much more than just some mediation and sparring. They work together more, regardless of mark type, and Shouyou understands his mark and himself more than he ever has. He understands what makes him and Kageyama different, and he accepts his own abilities now. He also understands that his “late-blooming” is very natural when it comes to dimensionals, because of the way the power will manifest itself.

He also learns about the Nether, which Ukai teaches him and Daichi more about. The Nether is an alternate space which is where dimensionals pull their power from. Shouyou manipulates gravity through the Nether, Daichi travels through the Nether, and when dimensionals use their mark specific ability, fazing, they cover themselves partially with the Nether such that while they still exist within the physical plane, they are able to be just on the outskirts of it, that they no longer have a physical presence. And though Shouyou can’t travel into the Nether by will, like Daichi can, Shouyou is definitely becoming more adept at fazing quickly in and out and he feels like he’s almost completely ready to implement his new technique in a fight.

“I’m really liking what we’re doing with Coach Ukai,” Shouyou says to Kageyama as they’re getting ready for the next day of training. Takeda had told them the previous night during dinner (which Ukai joined for the first time since starting to coach them a few days prior), that Ukai’s reason for training their Battle Unit was due to a week of practice Takeda had arranged with Nekoma, a powerful unit from Tokyo. “I think I’ve been making a lot of progress!”

Kageyama raised an eyebrow at him. “Have you? I’ll pay more attention to you today, then.”

Shouyou isn’t sure if it was the way Kageyama said it, or the very fact that Shouyou knows Kageyama is going to be _paying attention to him_ , but it makes his stomach squirm and his heart feel warm because he can feel them becoming even closer, moving from rivals to acquaintances to maybe even _friends_. Shouyou also isn’t sure when he started wanting to befriend Kageyama instead of destroying him, but he knows that friendship is what he wants as of now.

Kageyama flushes. “Stop thinking weird things, dumbass. I can feel,” he gestures his hand in Shouyou’s general bodily area and makes a _nyuh_ noise in explanation.

Shouyou sticks his tongue out. “I thought you didn’t _care_ about how I feel, Bakageyama.”

Kageyama starts to splutter and make noises that vaguely resemble words (but not really) and Shouyou hums with a grin, pulling his socks and shoes on, proud of himself. That’s another Shouyou’s learning about and getting used to: the Mental Link. He’s taken to it easier than he expected to, what with having Kageyama’s presence, mind, soul, consciousness _burning_ in the back of his own brain and thoughts all the time, and though Shouyou isn’t exactly sure how Kageyama sees their new psychic bond, Shouyou finds that it’s better than how they were before.

They _understand_ each other.

And while Kageyama does keep secrets, Shouyou believes that when the time comes, Kageyama will tell him what made him so untrusting, so _angry_ at himself and all who try to care for him. Shouyou anticipates the day when that will happen, but for now, Shouyou’s more than happy with his and Kageyama’s current relationship and bond. They still argue a lot, but Shouyou enjoys the arguments and finds them comforting; a good way to let off steam after a particularly grueling practice.

Once Kageyama is ready, the two head into the kitchen to check the chore board and see what they have been assigned. Since they are hosting Nekoma, and Nekoma is from Tokyo which has locked down the activities of all marked people, Nekoma will be boarding with them, which means they have to get the dorms ready for another team. Shouyou’s a little nervous because he knows Nekoma is a powerful unit, but at the same time, he’s also excited because he’ll be able to learn _so_ _much_ from them, and if Shouyou’s anything, he’s a learner.

“We have to clean our room because someone will be staying with us,” Kageyama points out, then clucks his tongue. “And I have to clean the storage room with Tanaka, Tsukishima, and Ennoshita.”

“Oh! Yamaguchi and I supposed to buy supplies!”

Kageyama frowned furiously. “Why do _you_ get Yamaguchi and _I_ get Tsukishima?”

“Because you _always_ get paired with Yamaguchi for chores and _I_ always get stuck with Tsukishima! It’s my turn to have Yamaguchi!”

“Oh wow, looks like you’re finally popular, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima says as the two of them walk over to the bored. Yamaguchi looks at Kageyama and Shouyou sheepishly. Shouyou smiles up at Yamaguchi brightly and takes his hands.

“We’re going to go get supplies for everyone today!”

Yamaguchi gives a small smile in return. “Really? Sounds like fun, Hinata.”

“Hm. Yamaguchi, how do you feel being so popular with the boys?” Tsukishima is wearing his usual shitlord expression that Shouyou hates. “The king and the shrimp aren’t _too_ bad looking.”

Yamaguchi’s face flushes and he says “ _Tsukki_ ,” admonishingly. Shouyou flushes.

“Maybe if you were more like Yamaguchi you’d be popular, too.”

“Why would I care about something as petty as popularity?”

“ _Everyone_ cares about being popular!” Shouyou exclaims, really believing it. Who wouldn’t? Shouyou wishes he were more popular because he always kind of feels bad when other people get confession letters and he gets none.

Kageyama tilts his head. “I don’t.”

Shouyou gives him as icy of a look as he can muster up on the spot. It seems to pay off as Kageyama flinches back a bit. _Good_ , Shouyou thinks, _that’s what you get for betraying me!_ _Although, he probably doesn’t even_ realize _what the look is for_. If there’s anything Shouyou has learned about Kageyama, it’s that the boy is extremely _honest_.

“I don’t know,” Yamaguchi interjects quietly, looking a little unsure of himself before he speaks louder. “I think it’s natural for some to want to be popular.”

Shouyou grins, ignoring the _some_ part of Yamaguchi’s attempted mediation and slings an arm around Yamaguchi’s waist, making the freckled boy jump in surprise. Shouyou pats him on the arm. “See? I knew you’d be on my side, Yamaguchi!”

Yamaguchi tries to pry himself away, but Shouyou squeezes harder. “I’m not _trying_ to be on someone’s side, just remind everyone that people are different.”

“There aren’t really any sides to take,” Tsukishima interjects, distracting Shouyou to give Yamaguchi the escape he needs. Yamaguchi sidles over to Tsukishima. Tsukishima continues. “I merely stated my own opinion on the matter. You’re a confrontational little bug, aren’t you, Hinata?”

Shouyou flusters, his cheeks pink before he deflates, because he knows, in hindsight, that Tsukishima is right. “Well, excuse me for assuming you wanted to fight, when all you do is insult everyone.”

Tsukishima shrugs a shoulder half-heartedly, as if to say _Not my problem, shorty_ , before turning to Yamaguchi. “Let’s go, Yamaguchi. Suga’s in charge of making breakfast today.”

“Okay, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi agrees and follows Tsukishima into the kitchen, though Yamaguchi does turn around and give Shouyou a shy wave and little smile as an almost after thought before he ducks into the other room.

Kageyama is strangely quiet, so Shouyou turns to question him. “What’s wrong with you, Kageyama?”

Kageyama frowns at him deeply and grabs Shouyou’s head, squeezing. “What was that look for, dumbass?”

_Ah, so he really didn’t understand._ Shouyou giggles a bit. “What’s this, Kageyama? A cute side? I’m shocked.”

Kageyama makes a strangled noise and pushes harder on Shouyou’s head, shoving him down before Shouyou ducks out of the hold with a louder laugh. Kageyama’s face is contorted so Shouyou takes pity on him.

“I’m not mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Shouyou smiles as the frown starts to recede. “I hate to say this, but Tsukishima is right. You were just expressing yourself, too! Nothing wrong with that.”

Kageyama takes a moment to process his words before averting his eyes a little shyly and nodding slowly. “Yeah, I guess Tsukishima was right. For once,” Kageyama contorts his face into disgust. “I feel like I need to drink a bottle of shampoo after saying that.”

Shouyou barks out a laugh, surprised before grabbing Kageyama’s arm. “Yeah, me too. Let’s go get food too! I don’t want Yamaguchi and Tsukishima to eat all of Suga’s cooking!”

Shouyou by now, is used to the family meetings, so when Suga clears his throat to gather everyone’s attention, Shouyou isn’t the least bit surprised and he _doesn’t_ make an unnecessary scoff like some people (Tsukishima, because _really_ , how _rude_ ). Suga smiles at all of them, and Shouyou smiles back. It’s impossible not to smile back at Suga. For one, he’s very kind and for two, he’s very pretty.

“As you were made aware of last night, we will be hosting the Nekoma Battle Unit for a week of intensive training. We are very lucky to have this opportunity. Thank you, Take-chan,” Suga smiles at the keeper. Takeda blushes as everyone echoes their thanks. “And, as some of you have already done, you need to check the chore board outside to know exactly what is expected of you to accomplish before we make the final preparations. Everyone will be hosting up at least one member from Nekoma in your room, so be sure to speak with your roommate and decide on what to do for sleeping arrangements. Daichi and I both expect you all to work together and come to a mature decision that will not only be respectful to the visiting students but also to each other,” Suga looks at Daichi turning the group’s attention to him.

Where Suga’s face is smiling, Daichi’s is stern, though amicable. Over the weeks of training with him, Shouyou’s become better at reading Daichi’s expressions and moods. Daichi begins to speak. “Today, we will be cleaning and gathering supplies to prepare for our guests who will be arriving in a few days. After we finish eating breakfast, you will go about your separate tasks assigned on the board and then come back for lunch, followed by a light training session. The last thing you will do is clean your room and decide on the sleeping arrangement for the upcoming week. If you work diligently, you should be finished with everything before dinner and be able to relax before you go to sleep. Coach Ukai will be arriving at lunch to commence training to try and prepare us to work with Nekoma. Are there any questions about what is expected from you today?”

No one seems to be confused, so Daichi and Suga allow everyone to continue eating their breakfast. Shouyou loves their shared meals because they really _do_ feel like a unit when they come together and eat. He’s not sure why he feels so connected to everyone when it happens, but he _does_. He feels connected when Ennoshita shatters Tanaka’s dreams of wooing Kiyoko, and the accompanying snicker from Narita and Kinoshita’s attempt at comforting, he feels connected whenever Daichi and Suga sneak looks at each other and smile softly when they catch each other’s eye, he feels connected to Tsukishima’s no doubt sardonic mutters and Yamaguchi’s chuckles, he feels connected to Kageyama’s scowl when Shouyou lightly kicks his feet under the table. He feels connected when the psionics start discussing something or when Daichi looks at him, proud, when sharing something Shouyou had accomplished the previous day, he feels connected when Tanaka shouts out praise for his successes, and he even feels connected when Tsukishima says something nasty in response.

Shouyou has never been on a team before now, and sometimes he’s so overcome by emotion, _gratefulness_ , that he grabs his shirt tightly in his hand and feels himself tearing up, because he never knew that he could _miss_ something he’d never had before.

And so, when Yamaguchi gestures for Shouyou to hurry with him so they can walk to the store and pick up supplies, and then when Yamaguchi lectures him lightly (“Really, Hinata? It’s cold as _balls_ outside, wear your jacket,”) and then practically forces the light jacket on him (and it’s really not even that cold, it’s barely October) before they head out, Shouyou really does start tearing up.

“Hinata? Are you okay?” Yamaguchi asks right as Shouyou starts to wipe the tears off his face. Shouyou sniffles and Yamaguchi looks concerned, but also at a loss for what to do about the crying boy. Shouyou nods passionately because he is _more_ than okay.

He wipes his eyes again and feels embarrassed because of his emotional display. “I’m fine,” Shouyou thinks for less than a second before he decides that he can confide in Yamaguchi, because even if Yamaguchi’s friends with Tsukishima, he knows that Yamaguchi will listen and keep his confidence. “I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’ve never been on a team before, and we do really feel like a family.”

Yamaguchi is silent for a second, thinking before he gives Shouyou a soft smile. “I understand. The teams I’ve been on before, with Tsukki, were never as homey as Karasuno is. Suga actually reminds me of my mother: doting and nosy, a little mischievous.”

Shouyou grins broadly at the comparison. “Yeah! And Daichi’s the dad, stern and he raises us with a firm hand.”

“Tanaka’s the older brother,” Yamaguchi says. “He tries to mother us a little, too, though in a much more, ah, _crude_ way. He cares about us.”

“All the upperclassmen do,” Shouyou agrees. “And I think that we’re kinda like a little family too, us first years? Even if Kageyama and Tsukishima and I don’t all get along.”

Yamaguchi chuckles. “That’s more than half of us. Are you saying I’m the only one who gets along with everyone?”

Shouyou nods enthusiastically. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

A flush covers Yamaguchi’s freckles and he rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not that good at getting along with people, I’m just quiet.”

“No way, Yamaguchi!” Shouyou protests immediately. “The fact that you’re friends with Tsukishima is impressive enough as it is!”

“Well, you get along well with Kageyama,” Yamaguchi says. “Even if you two argue, it’s obvious you’re becoming friends. And it’s not like Kageyama’s specifically _knowledgeable_ when it comes to making friends. You’re good at getting along with people, too. Even though you’re a little confrontational.”

“Kageyama’s easy to get along with when you realize he doesn’t know what he’s doing and get past the angry face,” Shouyou tells Yamaguchi matter-of-factly. “I couldn’t get along with Tsukishima. He’s too smart.”

Yamaguchi hums and nods. “Tsukki’s very smart. He’s in a college preparatory class, even though he’s marked and spends three days of the week doing battle training. Sometimes I feel a little lost, too. It’s a normal sensation to feel when you’re around Tsukki.”

“Aren’t you in the college preparatory class, too?”

Yamaguchi flushes as if he hadn’t thought that the compliment to Tsukishima applied to himself as well, which frankly made Shouyou sad because he _liked_ Yamaguchi. “Well, I guess, yeah. But Tsukki’s amazing. I’m just average. My grades are just so-so.”

“My grades are awful,” Shouyou comforts. “I think you’re really smart. You’re psionic and I’m not sure exactly how your mark works, but using illusions seems like you’d need to think really fast to use them.”

Yamaguchi flushes more. “I guess. It’s not super special or anything. I just make things up and then force those visions into other people’s heads.”

Shouyou nods. “That seems pretty special to me, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi wrings his hands. “Okay, if that’s what you think, Hinata.”

“That’s what I think,” Shouyou reaffirms. Yamaguchi looks a little overwhelmed himself before he breaks eye-contact and gestures to where the store is, slightly ahead of them.

“Do you have the list?” he asks Shouyou. Shouyou nods and pulls it out of his pocket, unfolding it then handing it to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi had gotten the money from Takeda before they left, so Shouyou knew that was taken care of. Yamaguchi reads over the list and Shouyou holds the door open for the two of them to walk in.

“Hi, Coach Ukai,” Shouyou waves to the clerk. Ukai looks up from his magazine and extinguishes his cigarette, nodding in acknowledgement. Yamaguchi grabs a basket and hands it to Shouyou to hold. Some of the items on their list are too high up for Shouyou to reach on the larger shelves. Usually, Shouyou would be offended to be on basket duty, but Yamaguchi doesn’t make a big deal out of it. And Yamaguchi’s tall, taller than Kageyama _and_ Ukai, so when they go shopping together, Shouyou’s the one on the lower shelves-duty, because Yamaguchi doesn’t like bending down to get things that are closer to the ground. _It hurts my lower back_ , he’d said, a week or so before when they’d been on shopping duty. So, they came to a compromise.

“Oh, Hinata,” Yamaguchi breaks their silence and points to the shelf right above the floor in front of them. “Can you get the popcorn? For movie night, apparently.”

“Sure!” Shouyou agrees and squats to grab the box of popcorn when something catches his eye. The thing is a little shiny, white, and round, wedged behind a few cans. “What is that?” he asks, getting Yamaguchi’s attention who comes over to see it as well.

“What are you looking at?”

“I dunno,” Shouyou answers, moving the cans to try and see what the ball-like thing is. Yamaguchi bends down next to him, looking curiously at what Shouyou is unearthing. Yamaguchi makes a choking sound.

“Hinata please don’t touch it, it’s, Hinata – _no_.”

Shouyou grabs the squishy thing and turns it around before shrieking and dropping the eye on the ground, making it release a wet, _squelching_ noise. Shouyou continues to make distressed noises as he looks at his now moist fingers. Yamaguchi joins him in the distress.

“Why?” Yamaguchi exclaims, looking a little green, like he wants to vomit. “Why is there an _eyeball on the shelf_?”

“What the hell are you two screaming about over there?” Ukai asks from behind his magazine. “Did you just say _eyeball_?”

“Coach Ukai there’s an _eyeball_ ,” Shouyou whines, wanting to cry. “ _I touched an eyeball_.”

_Ah_ , he thinks, _there’re the tears_.

“Oh my god it’s _moving_ ,” Yamaguchi shrieks and Shouyou cries louder at having touched an apparently possessed eyeball. Ukai comes to the two of them quickly and Shouyou watches with teary eyes as the eyeball rolls back towards the shelf it was on and _(“holy shit is it sprouting veins?”_ Yamaguchi is close to tears himself) red lines grow from it and help draw the eyeball back onto the shelf before it rolls to the very back, pressed tight against the wall.

“I’m going to puke,” Yamaguchi says as Ukai rips the eyeball off of the wall with the hem of his apron and studies it. The eye starts to struggle. Shouyou gains a whole new level of respect for Ukai, who doesn’t drop it, though he looks like he wants to.

“This isn’t a real eyeball,” Ukai tells them. “When your keeper finally convinced me to train you guys, two people were tailing him. One of them had a mark on his neck. I think this is a psionic ability, probably to watch my shop for whatever they wanted Takeda for,” Ukai holds the eye out to Yamaguchi. “Think you can read the mark signature on this? See if it’s indeed connected to another psionic?”

Yamaguchi makes a face like moving to look closer is the last thing he wants to do, but he does so anyway. Yamaguchi’s pretty, twirling mark crawls seems to circle as he activates it, almost unfurling, before it grows into more twisting patterns, underneath the collar of his shirt and up onto his cheeks, travelling over his nose. _It’s pretty_ , Shouyou thinks. Yamaguchi makes a face as his fingers, the tips now glowing with a flurry of purple psychic energy, press into the sclera of the eyeball and iris.

The three are silent for a few seconds before Yamaguchi pulls away and deactivates his mark. “You’re right. It’s a psionic construct tied in with someone’s mark ability. I obviously don’t know what it is, but judging by the fact that it’s an eye, it is probably related to watching your store. Does this have to do with what I saw on the news the other day, of a group of marked people running around and killing keepers?”

Ukai sighs and scratches his head near the band of his headband. “I can’t say for sure, but whatever this means definitely isn’t good. It means that someone is not only targeting Takeda, but also me and I wouldn’t doubt the rest of you guys in Karasuno and any marked or unmarked people who come in here. Now, this thing was hidden by the wall, right? There’s probably more of them. I’ll have to arrange a search, but for now, I’ll keep this and take it back to Karasuno later today for Suga to read. He’ll probably be able to get something more off of it with his empathy, at least become familiar with the user’s psychic signature.”

The two nod and Shouyou is worried because Ukai seems so _bothered_ by it, and of course he would be, someone’s been spying on his store after all and might be aiming to _kill_ Take-chan, but it maybe seems to be something more, as well. Ukai walks back to his desk and grabs a jar from underneath, pouring out the coins inside it and dropping the eye in. The eye immediately tries to escape, but Ukai tightens the lid, preventing it from moving. Yamaguchi and Shouyou continue their shopping in silence and come to an unspoken decision to leave as quickly as possible. They feel anxious being around the eye and also anxious for Takeda’s sake now that the suspicion of someone aiming for his life is given room to grow.

“Those stories all seemed so far away,” Yamaguchi says quietly as they walk back, laden with bags of groceries. “I never thought this could happen here.”

Shouyou nods in agreement. “We have to tell the others so nothing bad happens to Take-chan. He won’t be able to defend himself against someone marked.”

“You’re right,” Yamaguchi agrees. “This is bad. Also,” he pauses as if weighing whether or not he should say something, before he continues, “was it just me, or did Ukai seem to be thinking of something else being seen by the eyeball, not just Takeda or us?”

“I mean, he and Take-chan are friends, but he did seem a little… weird. Maybe he’s hiding something, too?”

“I’m not sure,” Yamaguchi says, “but we shouldn’t read too much into it. He’s probably just worried about Takeda and is a little creeped out over being watched.”

Shouyou’s worries are set at ease because Yamaguchi is _smart_ , so he’d know whether they should be worried or not. They walk back, pensively, and quickly locate Daichi and Suga who are cleaning the kitchen together. Suga immediately sense their unease and looks at them with worry as Shouyou and Yamaguchi start unloading the bags.

“What’s the matter you two?” Suga asks, coming over to help them. Yamaguchi and Shouyou share a look before Shouyou turns to Suga.

“We think Take-chan’s life is in danger.”

His statement gets Daichi’s full attention as well and the captain comes over, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when we were shopping, we found an eyeball in Ukai’s store, on a shelf,” Shouyou explains. “It was really, really gross and I touched it before we realized it was an eyeball,” he thinks for a second, “Well, Yamaguchi told me not to touch it, but I did anyway and then _I_ realized it was an eyeball and cried. But anyway, Ukai had Yamaguchi look at it and-”

Yamaguchi cuts in. “It had a psionic signature. I think it’s a construct that’s connected to someone’s ability. The signature was active. Ukai’s going to bring it in later so that Suga can read it and see if he can track the user, or at least recognize it.”

“What does this have to do with Take-chan?” Suga asks, worriedly.

“Ukai thinks it has to do with the people who have been murdering keepers,” Yamaguchi explains and Shouyou gets a sick feeling in his gut as it sinks in that _Take-chan could be murdered_. “He said that when Takeda convinced him to coach us, two marked users were tailing him. He thinks one of them planted the eye and that it may be connected to more.”

The two third years are silent as they make eye contact with each other before they turn to Yamaguchi and Shouyou, their faces set into hard lines. Daichi says. “We’ll arrange a meeting with the team and discuss what’s happening. We know that none of us have the ability to plant the eye, and we know that night that all of us were together so no one could have been there with the psionic user. I think we should keep this from Takeda for now, there’s no reason to have him worry when we don’t know exactly what the problem is,” he nods to Suga. “Suga, go and bring everyone into the kitchen.”

Suga goes outside and Daichi gestures for the first years to help him start putting the groceries away. “For now, we need to stay calm and keep a close eye on Takeda, make sure he’s safe. Of course, we could be overreacting and the eye has nothing to do with Takeda.”

“What could it be if it does have to do with Takeda?” Shouyou asks. Both Yamaguchi and Daichi look slightly uncomfortable before Daichi clears his throat.

“It could be from the Peacemongers, the UOME, or both. The UOME will sometimes monitor business owned and run by marked people for Peacemonger activity and also for marked people to hire as agents and informants, and the Peacemongers study certain marked people they would like to approach and recruit. At least, that’s what’s theorized about Peacemonger recruitment. So, it could have to do with Ukai and not Takeda, and Takeda was used as a distractor. Of course, we can’t be sure of that either.”

“Ukai and the Peacemongers…” Shouyou mutters to himself, trying to come to terms with the thought. _It’s weird_ , he muses, _because it’s not like the Peacemongers hurt marked people, but thinking about them still makes me a little nervous. But_ , he rationalizes _, Ukai in the UOME makes me even more scared._ He’s not really sure what that means, that the terrorist organization makes him feel less scared than the government program created to help him and people like him, and he doesn’t really want to think about it because higher concepts and feelings like that confuse him.

Yamaguchi grips the counter and his knuckles are white before he takes a breath and collects himself. The door to the kitchen opens and Tsukishima and Kageyama walk in with Ennoshita between them, apparently the peacemaker. Both first years look equally disgruntled. Behind them are the rest of the second years and Suga comes in last, closing the door, before he joins Daichi at the front of the group.

“It’s been brought to our attention that we need to pay closer attention to Takeda,” he begins. “Today, Hinata and Yamaguchi found a psychic construct within _Sakanoshita_ which we think may have a connection to the group of marked people who have been moving around Japan, murdering keepers. We aren’t sure if that’s why the construct was there, and Ukai is bringing it in for Suga to examine for more information later today, but for now, we believe it will be safer to be cautious than end up with Takeda dead.”

The group is silent at the news before Tanaka says: “Yeah, if they’re aiming for Take-chan, we can’t let that happen!”

“We’ll also keep an eye on Nekoma’s keeper when their unit comes here,” Suga says. “That keeper could be in danger as well.”

“What if people from Nekoma are part of that group?” Narita asks. “Because if we let them in, they could hurt Take-chan.”

Suga bites his lip. “There’s always that possibility, however, if someone does attempt to hurt Take-chan, we’ll handle it together, as a team. We’ll keep an eye out. But for now, we just wanted to bring it to your attention. You can return to your chores now. We’ll have lunch ready soon.”

The group nods and meanders out, uneasily. Tsukishima grabs Yamaguchi and Shouyou heads to Kageyama. Kageyama looks thoughtful.

“This all happened at a bad time, didn’t it?” Shouyou tries to joke because Kageyama looks too pensive for someone of his intelligence.

“What did the construct look like?” he asks quietly as the two walk out of the kitchen and to their room to clean. Shouyou pauses.

“Why?”

“Just tell me what it looked like, dumbass,” he snaps. Shouyou frowns, confused, but decides to anyway.

“It was an eyeball. I touched it before I saw what it was. It used its veins to move.”

Kageyama gulps and looks very, very uncomfortable before he starts to clean his side of the room. Shouyou puts a hand on his arm, getting his attention.

“Kageyama, why? You look like you knew that.”

Kageyama pulls away and sits down on the bed. “I had a dream last night –there were, laughing eyeballs.”

“…Laughing… eyeballs?”

Kageyama nods. “They were red. The irises. The irises were red and they were laughing.” Kageyama reaches out towards Shouyou before he pauses. “Can I… show you?”

Shouyou hesitates before he agrees, sitting down next to Kageyama. Kageyama puts his fingers to Shouyou’s face and reaches into Shouyou’s mind, conjuring up the dream. Shouyou gasps at the icy feeling encompasses his head, the sensation of fallingfalling _falling_ –backwards into darkness.

The world around him is dark, or, he’s _seeing dark_ , he knows he’s _seeing dark_ and then suddenly there’s a blink, _flash_ , of light, like one from a camera and a creaking, groaning noise. The floor rises around him and he sees orange particles stream from the walls to the middle of the room before they swirl together, making a cloud that rains out Shouyou’s own form. Shouyou watches himself standing there before darker, bluer particles fly slowly around him, and cloud. Dream-Shouyou laughs and reaches out into the thundering cloud, grabbing a hand and pulling the person, Dream-Kageyama, out of it. The two stand there and then the floor rocks and suddenly, everything is upside down and they are falling together into blackness. There is something light at the bottom of the blackness and they sink into something squishy.

All of a sudden, a bright light shines down on them and there is loud, cackling laughter. Their Dream-selves sink down into the whiteness and then the white things start rolling moving, and they’re _eyes_ millions of little red _eyes_ staring up at the real consciousness of Shouyou and Kageyama. Suddenly the laughter grows louder and red veins sprout from the eyes like legs and they start climbing, fast, up the walls of the tunnel toward Kageyama and Shouyou. Shouyou feels panic in his stomach, but he can’t move because it’s not _real_ and suddenly the falling sensation, the cold, is back and he is staring up at the ceiling of his and Kageyama’s room, Kageyama waking up as well, their hands and one of Kageyama’s still on his face.

“What the _fuck_ ,” Shouyou breathes, shaken from the dream. Kageyama is sitting quietly. “You dreamt that _last night_?”

Kageyama seems sheepish, a little embarrassed, maybe. “Sometimes my mark activates when I’m sleeping and I get these… visions. Of things to come. I never understand them at first. It’s becoming much more frequent. I’ve been having them for about a year, maybe? Since the first time we met in junior high.”

“Kageyama you can _see the future_ ,” Shouyou says, shaky, but really, really awed.

Kageyama scoffs. “Little good that does me, when I can’t even tell if they’re dreams or visions when I have them. I wish they were more straightforward and didn’t make me so _tired_ when I wake up.”

“What other visions have you had?” Shouyou finds this very interesting and wants to know all about it because seeing the future is so _cool_!

Kageyama shrugs. “Just little things, I guess. Like I said, I had a vision of you the first time we played together. I had another vision that mirrored the first one when we ended up meeting each other on the first day of school. I’ve had other visions. Some are small. Short, like the one I showed you. Others are longer. It depends, I guess. I don’t know how to use it.”

“Maybe Yamaguchi could help? I know illusions aren’t the same thing, but maybe?”

“I just wish I didn’t have them in the first place. It’s annoying and I hate them. Also, they’re no use if I can’t understand what they mean. Some are literal, like this one, because you _literally_ found an eyeball. Other’s not so much.”

“Maybe you should look at the eyeball too. You might be able to get a vision off of it, or know something.”

Kageyama seems uncomfortable with the idea, but he agrees to it slowly. “I can ask Suga during lunch. Suga knows I have visions. This could be a good chance for me to practice wielding this new part of my mark.”

“See, I can have good ideas,” Shouyou smiles at Kageyama. Kageyama flushes a little and puts his hand on Shouyou’s face, pushing Shouyou away. Shouyou laughs and moves with it before both stand up and continue to clean.

They have a lot to do today.

* * *

After lunch finds Suga, Kageyama, and Ukai standing around the kitchen table, staring at the eyeball in a jar. Suga finds the sight to be extremely disgusting, and he knows that Kageyama does too, by the way the younger boy hesitates to move closer to it. Suga swallows and moves closer, putting his hands out to grab the jar. The eyeball starts to move around inside of it, rolling and climbing up the walls with its… veins.

Suga wants to vomit, but he won’t.

Suga feels a light burn in his forehead and his mark activates. He channels his energy into his eyes and he looks deeper into the eye, reading the emotions: _determination, adaptability, loy(red)alty_ are all heavily present within it. Suga focuses on _Adap(red)tability_ and looks deeper into it: _flexibl(red)e, fast-thinking, changeable_. _Seeing_. _Watching_. _Moving_. _Red,red,red;_

Suga withdraws from his search and takes a deep breath. “I think his mark has to do with the construct. I think he uses it to see, maybe… _react_ to the things around him. Well, whatever it is, he’s definitely watching us right now. The construct is active. And I keep getting the feeling of red.”

“Red?” Ukai asks. Suga nods.

“Mark signatures will typically reveal not only the personality of the person, but also the emotions during the casting of the energy. The “feelings” that aren’t emotional or active readings tend to be something close to the user or about the user. We can assume that he probably has red hair, maybe even red eyes, since the construct also has red irises. Maybe even both are red. Maybe he wears red a lot, or maybe the red is meant to simulate an undercurrent of anger. Whatever it is, _red_ is his personal signature. That’s what I can locate to track him and sense him if he’s near.”

Ukai nods and looks toward Kageyama, gesturing for Kageyama to approach the eyeball. “Go ahead and try to glean something from it.”

Kageyama hesitates before he takes the jar in his hand. Suga can see his mark grow, wrapping in thick bands and dots around his neck and down his collarbone, up his chin and onto his lips. Kageyama frowns.

“I see… a tall man. And I feel something stuck in my head, my eye it _hurts it hurts really bad, oh my god it hurts_ ,” Suga takes the jar away from Kageyama and the psychic clutches his hands to his head, blinking quickly.

“You good?” Suga asks, voice soft. Kageyama gulps and holds his hands out for the jar again. He takes it and closes his eyes.

“I see, I see the _store_ and I see the employee who works there during the day. She’s sleeping, I think. Someone is in the store, the tall man, and he’s reaching into the ceiling and I’m giving him another eye. The eye is going into the ceiling. The tall man removed a tile, I think. My eyes still hurt, but I’m used to it, I think. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I know that my pain will benefit the world someday. At least, that’s what they told me in my _training_. I look at the tall man, no, he’s the same age as me, and I respect him. He’s so strong. He also looks good in the shirt he’s wearing. Like, really good.”

Suga chokes on a laugh of surprise.

Kageyama continues. “The tall guy puts the tile back on the ceiling and I can see my eye staring at me through one of the pores in the tiles. The tall guy says to me that with my eyes, we can achieve our _goal_. The door opens and other guy walks in. I lick my lips because _damn_ , _he’s fine_ , _I’d do him all night long. Maybe I should talk to him and ask for a reward for all my good work, or maybe a punishment if I do something wrong_. _Hm._ The other guy says that our work here is done. I follow them both outside and we decide to go to lunch. I know that the time for action is soon. I also know that I am being watched, and to you who has my eye, I want you to know,” A sudden chill settles at the base of Suga’s spine and he really, really _doesn’t_ want Kageyama to continue with his vision. Kageyama’s voice lowers and seems like something completely different. “I’m watching you too.”

Suga yanks the jar away from Kageyama, who stumbles back, tripping onto the ground. The three of them make eye contact. “This is bad,” Kageyama says. Suga puts the jar down and helps Kageyama up.

“We need to destroy it and all the ones they’ve put in the store,” Ukai’s hand catches flame, Suga opens the jar and Ukai grabs the eyeball, burning it until it burned with the acrid, metal scent of mark energy and black cords of smoke travel up and disappear.

Kageyama lets out a breath, looking and feeling completely out of his element. His mark is still active on his face and his eyes are wide as he stares into the wood of the table.

“This is really, really bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be posted like, last week, but I decided that I didn't like what I had originally written and rewrote it to focus on Karasuno instead of Aobajousai. 
> 
> I'm sure you guys can guess who everyone is, since I didn't try to make it a secret or anything (I'm a big fan of dramatic irony). But who are these ~mysterious~ new marked people working for? Are the Peacemongers? UOME? That other organization?
> 
> Who knows (I know). But I'd love to hear what you guys think on the matter! I'd love to hear what you guys think in general! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	16. In Leaves No Step Had Trodden Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more pieces are set into motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings: Dissociation, brief anxiety attack, slight gore**
> 
> And both that morning equally lay   
> _In leaves no step had trodden black._  
>  Oh, I kept the first for another day!   
> Yet knowing how way leads on to way,   
> I doubted if I should ever come back.
> 
> ~~ _The Road Not Taken_ (Robert Frost)

The Peacemongers are quiet, thoughtful, as they sit around a small table in Ukai Sr.’s home. Their hearts and their minds are heavy with anticipations. Keishin can’t stand the fear in the eyes of the younger members, nor the nervous tension of the other adults.

Tanaka breaks the silence. “Are we compromised?”

“We don’t know that yet,” Keishin says, his eyes flicking to the stern face of his grandfather. _How hasn’t he said anything?_ Keishin thinks. _Why is this meeting all up to me?_ “We don’t even know who’s spying on us. It could be another mark organization or just some kids messing around. We can’t be sure if it’s the UOME or not.”

“But what if it is?” Kinoshita asks, his eyes are wider than the others. Where his body is tense with apprehension, Ennoshita stares at the table with dead eyes.

“Then we’re fucked,” Ennoshita says, his voice subdued. “Then the UOME is just waiting to come and arrest us. Well, send _us_ to the Institution.”

Saeko bangs her fist on the table, making everyone around it startle. “Enough with this self-pitying crap! What’s important right now is that we continue acting as if _nothing is wrong_. We take precautions. We fucked ourselves over from the beginning by always meeting in the same place. We _fucked up_. But that doesn’t mean everything’s lost. You kids keep battling like nothing has happened, like that little friend of yours didn’t find anything in the shop. I’m tired of this quiet fear _shit_. This apprehension!”

“Saeko’s right,” Keishin says firmly. “We can’t let this hinder us, we just have to be smarter. We have to recruit as many people to our side before the UOME inevitably shuts down Miyagi, too,” he glances at his grandfather, seeing approval in his eyes. “We keep fighting the oppression. We keep doing what we know is right. We make plans to get you guys safe and – _dammit,_ I’m not going to let any of you go to the Institution, alright? Not after -,” he pauses. “Not after they took Nishinoya.”

Pain flashes through the faces of the kids from Karasuno and Tanaka slaps a hand over his eyes. “Fuck – _Noya_. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault,” Ennoshita snaps quietly, under his breath. “We’re all at fault.”

“Asahi’s at fault,” Narita comments, scratching the back of his head.

“No, we encouraged Noya to go after him,” Kinoshita sighs. “We encouraged him and he got swept away by the SSF and was sent to the Institution. We should have told him not to bother trying to get Asahi to come back.”

“When is he coming back?” Tanaka asks. “He’s my best friend.”

Keishin’s mouth pulls to the side. “I’ll ask Takeda to see if he has any news of Noya’s return to Karasuno. But he hasn’t mentioned anything about it to me.”

“He doesn’t know that you know Noya,” Shimada comments. “We only know him because the Tanakas recruited him to our organization.”

“I’ll tell him that Tanaka asked me if I knew anything,” Keishin shrugs. “But aside from that, we have more important matters to attend to. First, we need to start making some plans. I vote that we destroy the eyeballs.”

“I disagree,” Shimada counters. “We should keep one under lockdown. See if we can glean anything else from it. We can destroy the rest.”

“Are you sure that won’t look suspicious?” Narita asks. “I think it’ll look suspicious.”

“Why wouldn’t a marked store owner clear his shop of unauthorized surveillance?” Keishin asks him. Narita shrugs, unable to come up with an answer. “Though I do appreciate the comment. I can’t use those of you here to do it. We don’t need to give them anything else to cause suspicion. I’ll ask one of the Karasuno kids to do it.”

“I will,” Tanaka interjects. Shimada shakes his head.

“No, I think you should use someone who isn’t part of our organization. We don’t know exactly how long those eyes have been there. They could have been watching you kids go to the shop for months –it would be better if it wasn’t one of them.”

“I’m not sure…” Keishin mutters. “It may look more suspicious to have changed all of a sudden.”

“But these four aren’t the only members of Karasuno who regularly go there,” Saeko reminds them. “The whole team goes to the shop all the time. Just because these four go more often doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I also think that Sugawara’s abilities will be extremely helpful to the search and destroy mission you’re going for.”

“Ah,” Shimada interjects, raising a finger, “Search and destroy all but _one_.”

Saeko waves her hand at the comment. “Whatever, the point still stands. Sugawara will be the most helpful. He can track the mark signature of the eye and find all of them. Plus, since you said that he was the one who read it in the first place, it would be believable that you would ask him to help you find them.”

“What about Kageyama?” Ennoshita asks. “You also asked him to look at it too, right, Coach?”

“Kageyama will be the most useful if he incites a vision of the mark user again. I’ll take him just in case, though,” Keishin agrees. He looks over to his grandfather, who has been silent throughout the entire meeting. “What do you think, Gramps?”

Ukai smiles. “I think that you guys are doing just fine on your own.”

Something about the comment doesn’t sit well with Ukai at all.

* * *

Tobio runs the vacuum over the carpet with mounting frustration as the crumbs are only ground further into the spaces between the beads of fabric. He pushes down harder on it, the machine roaring in a way Tobio wishes he could. He stops, his hands going to his hips as he stares at the machine, wondering if he should try and talk it out of misbehaving. He rubs his forehead, glancing around the commons area, seeing everyone working hard as well. It’s the day that the Nekoma Battle Unit should arrive, and due to recent events (i.e. a creepy eyeball _possessing him_ ), they had not prepared as thoroughly as Sugawara had been hoping. Which means all the cleaning they had been meaning to do over the span of a week, needed to be done _now_. There’s a certain heaviness in the back of his head, and a growing headache, but he ignores it because it’s probably just from frustration.

“Having trouble with a commoner’s work, my selfish king?” Tsukishima’s voice floats over to him as the blonde puts away the dust rag he had been using to clean the wooden surfaces. Tobio scowls deeply at him.

“I know how to vacuum, shitty Tsukishima,” he responds. “It’s just not working.”

Tobio can see the motion of Tsukishima clicking his tongue deploringly before the blonde fucking _saunters_ over (which Tobio thinks is an action that shouldn’t look so natural on someone so unnaturally tall) and places a hand on Tobio’s shoulder, his face a mockery of concern. “If you’re having trouble, why don’t I help you?”

“Because you’re an asshole,” Tobio answers automatically. It’s the truth. Tsukishima is an asshole.

“How insulting. Well,” Tsukishima chuckles as an afterthought, his gaze flicking over to where Yamaguchi was trying to contain his laughter, “our king has never been known for his sense of propriety.”

“Get fucking _on_ with it,” Tobio forces the words out through his teeth, wanting nothing more than to wring Tsukishima’s skinny neck.

“If you talk any dirtier, maybe I will,” Tsukishima says before he frowns. “But seriously. What problems are you having with the vacuum?”

Tobio splutters. “Like I would tell you! You’ll just make fun of me.”

“You make fun of yourself for me,” Tsukishima snaps. “And I hate you for it. I can’t even get a good joke in.”

Tobio shoves the vacuum at Tsukishima, and he can feel his face contorting into an upset expression. “Take the damn vacuum.”

Tsukishima pushes up his glasses and bends down, a smug smirk forming on his face. He points to a small switch on the side. “You have to turn this to the right for the suction to work on carpet,” he turns the switch and turns on the vacuum. Tobio watches as the dirt and crumbs are quickly removed. Tsukishima turns it off again and hands the handle back to Tobio. “Here. Think you can manage now?”

“Nat –Of course,” Tobio grinds out, taking the handle forcibly from him. “Tha-.”

“Save it. I don’t want your thanks, king. I was merely doing my job as a servant,” with that, Tsukishima stalks away, his face contorted for some reason Tobio can only assume is because of prolonged exposure to himself and his own assholery.

Tobio funnels his anger into his vacuuming, pushing the vacuum along the carpet, quick and hard until the job is finished. He can still see some small crumbs and –animal hair? –but they aren’t even coming to the surface of the carpet from the vacuum’s suction, so he decides that it’s not worth getting them out. He turns off the vacuum and unplugs it, curls the cord around the top, and rolls it into the closet where the other cleaning implements are kept. His head feels weighed down still and he vaguely wonders if he’s coming down with some kind of illness. The pain has relocated to being right behind his eyes. Maybe he should ask Takeda for some medicine.

He stands there, after shutting the door, his ears ringing with Tsukishima’s comments. _Selfish king. Selfish. King. King. King._ He hates it. He hates being called that name. He hates the fact that Tsukishima knows _why_ and continues to call him that. Kageyama’s hands clench by his sides. He’s _changed_. He’s tried so hard to change. He doesn’t want to be the person he used to be anymore.

He stops himself before his hands can run along the vicious scars on his stomach and back and arms. He clenches his hands until he can feel his fingernails dig into the skin of his palms. He can still feel the phantom pain and the all too real betrayal (and despite what happened, he still doesn’t know if he betrayed them or if they betrayed him because the visceral reaction they had, the action they took to allow him to –he knows that he must have done something horrible to cause that).

“Oh wow, he looks upset,” Hinata comments as he bounces out of nowhere and into Tobio’s line of sight, as always. His presence confuses Tobio, because when he uses his mark, his sense of what Hinata will do next is sometimes wrong, almost as if he doesn’t plan out his actions –at _all_. Thinking about it, Tobio thinks that that is _exactly_ what happens. Hinata isn’t one for foresight, and Tobio doesn’t need a mark, nor a direct connection to his brain to know that.

“That’s just how he always looks,” Tobio tells him. Upset and mean. Sarcastic. Rude. These are all words Tobio would apply to Tsukishima.

“He’s been acting more aggro lately. I think that he’s afraid after the whole eyeball incident,” Hinata theorizes as he stares after Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

“Who wouldn’t be?” Tobio’s definitely afraid. He’s never felt such a strong pull on his psyche, he’s never had a connecting vision like that before. He would sometimes feel the future of marks after touching something affected by an ability, like a psionic construct, but it had never possessed him before. Tobio’s not sure what’s going on, or what they’re facing, but he knows that whatever it is, it’s more powerful than any of them could imagine.

Hinata taps his chin in thought. “I bet _Tanaka-senpai_ isn’t afraid. He’s never afraid.”

Tobio nods his head in agreement. He’s never seen Tanaka quiver or shake _ever_ , and that’s pretty impressive considering what marked kids are forced to do for their formative years. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Tanaka-senpai’s pretty cool.”

“Ennoshita!” Tanaka screeches, throwing himself from where he was apparently standing behind Tobio. Tobio flinches at the loud noise and throws a glare in Tanaka’s direction. “I’m cool! The coolest senpai!” He wraps his arms around Ennoshita, who looks at him, slightly disgusted.

“That was literally the opposite of cool,” Ennoshita comments drily.

“Well, as long as my kouhai think I’m cool-“

“You’re not cool,” Tsukishima cuts Tanaka off, his voice monotonous. Tanaka wheels around on Tsukishima.

“You wanna go, kid?”

“You’re only a year older than me,” Tsukishima says, but Tobio sees that he’s drawn into himself, his body turned slightly away from Tanaka.

“ _Kid_ ,” Tanaka reiterates.

Ennoshita puts a hand on Tanaka’s shoulder. “Calm down, Ryuu. Daichi will be angry that you’re picking on one of your underclassmen.”

Tanaka shudders at Ennoshita’s words and quickly withdraws from Tsukishima and the conflict. “Besides, a good senpai wouldn’t pick on his underclassmen.”

“Of course,” Ennoshita says, a small smile on his face.

“I think Tanaka-senpai’s cool,” Hinata mutters, glancing up at Tobio. It takes Tobio to realize that Hinata wasn’t just whispering his comment for no reason, but whispering it _to_ Tobio. Tobio nods.

“All of our senpai are pretty cool, I guess,” he says. Hinata smiles broadly and slaps Tobio on the arm a few times in what Tobio can only assume is agreement.

“Hey! Kageyama,” he says, raising his hand up to shield his mouth from the others. Tobio furrows his eyebrows, perplexed. Hinata waves his hand at himself, looking at Tobio expectantly. Hinata’s mouth pulls to the side. “Bend down closer.”

“Why?”

Hinata rolls his eyes. “Because I want to talk to you secretly, obviously.”

“We have a mental link,” Tobio reminds him.

“But I don’t know how to use it!” Hinata whines. “You won’t let me!”

Tobio feels a little guilty for causing the small one stress, but he also has the instinctual need to protect himself from others. He let _them_ close to him before, and there was betrayal. He still hasn’t quite recovered from it. Tobio sighs and feels his mark start to warm up on the nape of his neck. He feels through his mind, grabbing at the tendril connected to Hinata’s brain and pulling, allowing Hinata monitored entrance into his psyche.

_Here._

_Your mind is so dark_ , Hinata thinks at him, and Tobio feels him trying to look around. _Is it because you’re stupid?_

“I’m not stupid!” Tobio protests out loud, his hand automatically reaching out to grab at Hinata. Hinata dodges the hand and laughs loudly at his reaction.

“You so _are_ , you just yelled at me where everyone can hear you!”

_I am not!_ Tobio yanks Hinata back into his mind and ignores the sudden, unusual feeling of being crowded inside his own head. He hasn’t felt that way with Hinata before. He ignores it, because Kageyama’s good at ignoring things that make him worry. _What did you want to say?_

_Hm. I didn’t really have anything planned_ , Hinata’s mind shakes with sheepishness. _I kind of just wanted you to open your mind for me._

_Idiot_ , Tobio feels a bit of affection, though he’s also annoyed because that’s so _manipulative_. _If you wanted to talk psychically, you could have just asked_.

_But what if I don’t want to ask? What if I just want to go ahead and do it?_ Hinata stares at Tobio imploringly. _Teach me how to communicate_.

Tobio sputters. _No._

_Yes_.

_Why on earth would I do that? It’s only going to make you feel the need to pry into my brain and I don’t want that._

_But you have the ability to pry into mine anytime you want! This is only fair, Kageyama!_

_Maybe you should have been born with a psionic mark then._

**_K                                             a_ **

**_G_ **

**_E_ **

**_ya_ **

**_M_ **

**_A_ **

The word breaks apart in his mind and suddenly Hinata is rushing out and some _thing_ is rushing in.

**_K                                             a_ **

**_G_ **

**_E_ **

**_ya_ **

**_M_ **

**_A_ **

**_K                                             a_ **

**_G_ **

**_E_ **

**_ya_ **

**_M_ **

**_A_ **

**_Is th_ **

**_at_ **

**_who_ **

**_y                      ou_ **

**_are_ **

**_??_ **

**_???_ **

**_I_ **

**** **_see_ **

**_y          ou c                             an                                                        y o                   u_ **

**_h                                                                                  ea                    ..r_ **

**_m..       ..e ?_ **

**_??                                ??_ **

**_??_ **

**_i ‘h       av        ere                   a_ **

**** **_d_ **

**_a          bou      t y                    o                                  u_ **

**_a                                  se         l_ **

**** **_fis     h_ **

**_k                                  i                                   n                                  g_ **

**_k                                  i                                   n                                  g_ **

**_k                                  i                                   n                                  g_ **

**_k                                  i                                   n                                  g_ **

**_k                      i                                   n                      g_ **

**_k          i                                               n          g_ **

**_ki                                 ng_ **

**_king_ **

Tobio is pierced by a scream. It stabs through him and rips his heart from his chest. He collapse to the ground in pain and watches as his heart is squeezed and crushed. There’s the laughing again and it’s inside of him. There’s a lever on the back of his head and someone yanks it, taking his skull from him. His brain is bared.

Hands reach into is skull and he watches in a mirror as his brain is taken out of his head. He watches from the mirror as his body is pushed to the floor. Blood pools around him. The brain is taken away from him and he pushes his way from the inside of the mirror, but he ends up standing on the ceiling, looking down at his body. He’s upside down.

Everything is upside down.

Downside up.

                                    **U**

**P**

**S**

**I**

**D**

**O**

**W**

**N**

**S**

**I**

**D**

**E**

**P**

**U**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**……………**

He falls through the dark floor and slams into the ground, dissolving into water, into flame. The water is flame. Flame being put out by water. He isn’t sure which way is up. The water floods his lungs in a burning inferno. He can’t breathe, but he has too much air.

The water is evaporated into the sky, and suddenly the sky is aflame as well. The ground under his feet is charred with blood. The flames are blood red. He can’t move, he’s trapped. He’s stuck. Glued to the ground. He’s quickly sinking, but not going anywhere. It’s only the sensation of sinking.

Blood rains from the sky onto him and down his cheeks. He lifts his hands because there is sudden weight there. He’s holding his own head, but his head is everyone’s head. It’s all the heads of those he knows and those he doesn’t know. Their faces flash before his eyes. He nose is not his own. Neither is his mouth. But the dead, cold eyes staring at him –blaming him –are. They are his. He believes. The face is changing, noticeably, but it’s still his own.

Who is he?

**_K                                             a_ **

**_G_ **

**_E_ **

**_ya_ **

**_M_ **

**_A_ **

**_K         aG_ **

**_E_ **

**_ya_ **

**_M_ **

**_A_ **

**_Kag_ **

**_e_ **

**_ya_ **

**_m_ **

**_a_ **

**_Kage ya                       ma_ **

**_Kage    yama_ **

**_Kageyama_ **

**_Kageyama_ **

_Kageyama!_

_“_ Kageyama!”

Tobio’s eyes open, but they don’t focus. He can’t see around the vision swirling inside his head –the scattered thoughts. He doesn’t know what just happened. He’s not sure what he just saw. There are shapes and colors moving around him, and suddenly he’s filled with the knowledge that everyone is dead.

Someone is screaming.

He doesn’t realize that it’s him.

Someone is crying.

That’s him, too.

“Kageyama,” the voice is soft.

That’s not him. He couldn’t speak with a voice that soft.

His eyes focus on the shapes of faces (the beheaded dolls) and he closes his eyes.

“You aren’t _real_ ,” he tells the faces because he can’t find comfort in bloodied dolls of the people he’s begun to care about.

“Kageyama,” there are hands hovering over him, wanting to touch. He can’t think. A cold washes over him and he starts to breathe slower. The tears don’t fall anymore. His heart stops racing. He starts to calm down. “Kageyama, we’re here. What’s wrong?”

_Suga_ , his mind supplies. “You’re all dead,” he says helplessly. “I’m dead.”

“No one’s dead,” Suga’s voice is a bit worried. “You passed out suddenly. Can you open your eyes for me?”

Tobio shakes his head. It’s too painful.

“Alright. That’s fine. Can you deactivate your mark?”

Tobio realizes that there is a burning sensation on his neck. He scrambles to cool it, to pull his mark back to its normal size and place. He’s never felt it spread so far before.

“Good, you’re doing great,” Suga’s voice is still soft, though there is some pride in it. “I’m proud of you.  Good job, Kageyama. Now, do you think you can open your eyes?”

Tobio thinks about it. He nods and opens them. Suga’s face swims into view. Suga’s mark is pulsating on his forehead and spirals of it twirl down around his eyes and cheeks. “You’re okay.”

“Yes,” Suga confirms. “I’m alive. Would you like to check my pulse?”

Tobio hesitates before he nods. He’s still not over the vision, or whatever that was. Suga helps Tobio’s hand press into his neck. There’s a fluttering sensation beneath his fingertips. Tobio feels a wave of relief pass over him.

“We’re all safe,” Suga tells him. “No one is dead.”

Tobio nods and goes to sit up. His head is killing him. He wants medicine. There is silence in the commons area. He looks around and sees only Suga.

“Where are?” his voice cracks.

“I asked them to leave while I helped you come out of the vision. I was worried that if they crowded you, it would be too much stimulus and you’d go into a full panic attack.”

“Thank you,” Tobio says, because the last thing he’d want would be for the others to see him in that state. Suga reaches out a hand and helps Tobio up. Suga looks at him imploringly. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Tobio hastily adds: “yet” to the end, because he knows that he will need to at some point. He knows what he just experienced was a vision. It scares him to try and understand what it means.

“Why don’t you go and lie down in your room? Hinata is in there waiting for you. He was very distraught when you fell.”

Tobio nods. He feels tired. More tired than he’s ever felt before. Suga helps him to his room and bids him farewell. Hinata bolts upright into a sitting position and the relief that washes over his face is almost more than Tobio can handle.

“Kageyama –are you okay?” Hinata reaches out to touch him before he stops. Something must wash over Tobio’s face because Hinata is bolting off of the bed and waving his hands. “I just don’t want to overload you or anything. Suga said that you will probably need your space.”

“No, it’s fine,” Tobio says, unsure what he’d need space for, or why Hinata would need to be in it. Hinata grins broadly and bounces on his toes a few times before he stretches out his arms and pulls Kageyama into a tight hug.

“I’m so glad you’re alright. I was so afraid when you passed out. You were just ripped from my mind. It was like… it was like a part of me was removed. I don’t really know how to explain it.”

Tobio understands what he means. The severing of a mental link can be extremely detrimental and painful, because the user is used to those thoughts and emotions having a constant presence in one’s mind, and while the mind blocks it out for the most part, it’s still hard to suddenly lose that awareness.

“I’m sorry,” Tobio says quietly. Hinata shakes his head, looking pensive.

“There’s no reason to apologize. You can’t help it if you have a vision.”

“It wasn’t…” Tobio doesn’t finish his sentence. He isn’t sure _what_ that was. It was almost as if something as speaking to him –showing him something. A possibility. It didn’t feel like a premonition, like the vision with the eyeballs. It wasn’t straightforward enough, but it was too straightforward to be a dream. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Hinata bites his lip, as if he wants to pry more, before he nods. “Alright. You should get some rest.”

“Where’re the others?”

“Some people are cleaning the training gym and equipment, some went to buy more food supplies since Yamaguchi and I didn’t end up getting all that we needed. Suga went with Ukai to try and find all the eyeballs in his store. They were going to bring you along but you were having a vision.”

“I see,” Tobio feels a bit useless, but there is a certain drop in the ever-present anxiety in his body that he won’t have to try and read the eyes again. He doesn’t like the feeling of getting possessed, and he can’t help but think that the possession is what caused whatever just occurred in him. Tobio sits down on his bed and Hinata walks over to his own. Tobio lays his head down on the pillow. He closes his eyes, though he doesn’t think he will be able to sleep again. Not after what just happened.

“I’ll get you some water,” Hinata says and Tobio hears the door shut. He doesn’t want to activate his mark again. He’s afraid that his mark will pull him under into another vision. He knows his vision wasn’t finished when Suga woke him up, and he doesn’t _want_ to finish it. He shivers as his brain dredges up the details of it.

He can’t even being to see what it means, other than the overwhelming feeling of death. Maybe death means loss, maybe it means actual death. He isn’t sure. He doesn’t want anyone to die.

He thinks about the scattered voice he heard before the vision started. It was almost as if someone –some _thing_ was trying to communicate with him. He can’t parse what the words mean, but he knows that it’s something. Maybe he can ask Suga to go into his mind and read it – _no_ , he thinks. _I don’t want anyone else in my head_. He knows that the voice was familiar with him. The voice knew his name, but he isn’t sure from where –he definitely wasn’t familiar with the voice. Maybe the voice was showing him the vision? Maybe it’s not actual precognition. That would make sense, due to the sporadic nature of it.

But why would someone show him everyone dying? Why would they show his brain and his heart being ripped from his body and destroyed? He thinks of the severed head that represented all of them. He wonders what _all_ entails. Was it just Karasuno? _No_ , _because there were faces I didn’t recognize_.

So the vision was in reference to more than just his battle unit. He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes as the headache from earlier begins to grow. He doesn’t want to see anymore. He thinks that he should write down what he saw, just in case. He doesn’t want to write it down, put the words on paper, but he remembers Suga suggesting to him that maybe writing things down will help him start to control his visions –make him fear them less. He isn’t sure it will work, but he doesn’t desire to lose himself again, like he did in the living area.

He can’t bear the thought of Tsukishima seeing him in that state –of anyone seeing him in that state, that loss of control over himself –so he decides to follow Suga’s advice, because any type of help is welcome at this point. He sits up and reaches over to his desk, picking up a pencil and a notebook. He clicks the lead of the mechanical pencil out and puts the point to the paper, starting to write.

* * *

Suga looks over the interior of _Sakanoshita_ , his activated mark burning over his forehead. It pulses slightly and grows as he allows himself to feel the sensation of emotional residue pass over him. There’s a lot of things he can feel –the sick feeling of fear is heavily prevalent –and he’s not exactly sure how much of that is coming from him, from Ukai, from the residue of Takeda.

“There,” he points to the third ceiling tile from the register. There’s a familiar sensation of red hot violence. Ukai nods and climbs onto a step stool and takes the tile down and rips the eye from it. Since they realized that the eyes aren’t _real_ , Ukai’s taken to touching them with his hands. So far, they’d found five.

“How many more?” Ukai asks, rubbing the acrid scent of burning psionic energy from his nose. Suga shrugs.

“I can’t say exactly –I’m just looking for them until we’ve removed all the red reside from here.”

“We need to keep one of them,” Ukai tells him. “For research purposes. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Are you thinking of asking Kageyama to try and watch the user through the eye again?” Suga asks. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You saw what happened to him today and what happened to him when the user high-jacked his mind. The user has to be extremely powerful, or have a very powerful psionic mark, in order to use someone’s mark against them.”

Ukai shakes his head. “I’d rather not use Kageyama, but I’m afraid we don’t have much of a choice. I’m going to talk to Nekomata about it when they get here. He’s very knowledgeable and may have seen something similar during the Mark War.”

“Are you sure we can trust him? We don’t know who planted this or why,” Suga feels worried. There are so many possibilities for what the eyeball was used for –the UOME, the Peacemongers, that new organization that’s been killing keepers –and he’s afraid that the Nekoma Unit may be part of them. He doesn’t want Takeda to die and Kageyama’s vision, the way Kageyama reacted to it, did nothing to ease his fears.

“I know Nekomata,” Ukai says. “We can trust him. He was friends with my gramps.”

“Okay, I’ll trust your judgement in this,” Suga agrees. Ukai’s been through more than Suga has, and he’s Suga’s teacher, so he has to.

Suga focuses back on finding the signatures and looks deeper into the residue. He locates three at once. “There’s one underneath the rack by the door, there’s one in the magazine stand, and there’s one in the freezer.”

Ukai walks to the rack and Suga goes to the magazine stand, since he figures that would be harder to look through. He locates the eye easily enough and passes it to Ukai to burn before he goes to the freezer. The eye is inside an expired pint of ice cream and shivers when Suga touches it. Suga makes a face and Ukai takes it from him. The eyeball seems to nuzzle into Ukai’s hand as it shivers and Suga can’t help but think it looks a little pathetic.

“What the fuck?” Ukai breathes out as spindles from the eyeball ( _veins_ , Suga thinks helpfully) wrap around Ukai’s thumb and starts to close Ukai’s hand, as if to warm itself up. “I feel kind of bad for it.”

“There’s two more in the shelves, and then one behind the cash register,” Suga tells him. Ukai nods and smoke filters up from his hand as he burns the cold eye. “I think those are the last three.”

“We’ll save one of them then.”

They choose to save the one from behind the register and burn the other two. Suga’s glad that Ukai had the foresight to turn off the smoke alarms. It would be hard to explain to firemen that they were burning psychic eyeballs. Or maybe it wouldn’t, Suga’s sure that firemen, of all public officials, would be used to dealing with mark-based accidents.

The eye rolls around in Ukai’s palm, as if trying to escape. Suga has a sudden, worrying thought. Can the eyes hear them? Has the user been able to hear their plans, all that they’ve talked about? The thought feels him with dread. There’s no way to know for sure. There’s no way to protect themselves if it can. If it can see them and hear them, then they’re fucked.

“Do you think this thing can hear us?” Suga asks, his voice wavering. Ukai startles before his mouth is drawn into a thin line.

“I hope not. If it can, it’ll be through the iris, most likely.”

Without another word, Ukai’s finger catches into a small flame and he stabs the eyeball through the iris. “This way it can’t see nor hear us, if it could do both.” The eyeball starts to screech a loud, and haunting noise. Suga covers his ears because he doesn’t want to hear it anymore. It’s anguishing.

When the burning is over, the eye is milky blind. “There. Now, we just take it back and see what we can do to keep the user from deactivating it.”

“Daichi might be able to store it in the Nether,” Suga suggests. He knows that if Noya was still in Karasuno, it’d be even easier, because he’d be able to place it into a suspended state by forming psionic barriers around it. Keeps the user from using it and from deactivating it, but allows for them to further study its make and use. Glumness washes over Suga at the thought of Noya. He’s still not sure when Noya will be back, though it has to be soon. His actions weren’t enough to grant him too much time in the Institution.

Suga still feels responsible for what happened with Asahi, what chased him away. If Suga had thought, if he had listened to Asahi’s misgivings, if he hadn’t pushed through and influenced Asahi in such a way that he lost control –Asahi wouldn’t have left, Noya wouldn’t have confronted him, and the Vice Principal wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Noya would still be on the team, and they wouldn’t be a broken unit –missing their guard and their ace.

He can remember the way that Asahi’s eyes had blackened, the way his body had ripped through the barriers and restraints of Dateko, the way they’d closed when Suga locked him down before he could hurt anyone. Suga knew how much Asahi hated his mark, he knew that Asahi tried so hard to control it, to stay calm, he knew that Asahi wouldn’t want Suga to interfere to make him berserk in the way his instincts wanted him to during activation. Suga knew all this, but he did it anyway. It’s his fault that Asahi was scared away. It’s his fault that Noya’s locked up.

He’s not surprised that Asahi stopped going to school and stays in his house. When he goes to visit his parents, Suga always wants to stop by Asahi’s and try to talk to him –apologize for what happened –but he can’t ever bring himself to knock on the door. Suga’s a coward. He hates himself for that.

“We can ask Sawamura if he can do that,” Ukai’s voice pulls Suga out of his reverie and into the present.

“I’m sure he can. He’s been working hard at controlling the Nether,” Suga’s happy for the change in topic. He’s proud of the work that Daichi’s been doing. He wants to help Daichi carry the team. He wants to be a pillar of strength as well, despite his flaws. He knows that he’s helpful in rallying the team and making everyone calm down in the heat of battle, but he sometimes feels like it isn’t enough. Sometimes he thinks that an empathic mark wasn’t _meant_ to be used in battle, but to heal. Well, it’s not like Suga will ever get the chance to know. Mark Laws are Mark Laws and all marked people have to fight. It’s what nomark society thinks they’re good for. Fighting and entertainment.

Ukai locks the doors as he and Suga walk out of the store before they head along the road back to the dorms. Ukai snaps the fingers of his hand that isn’t carrying the jar holding the eyeball. “Oh yeah, I meant to tell you and Daichi this morning: Takeda said that one of your old teammates is returning soon. The one that was institutionalized.”

“Nishinoya,” a weight is lifted from Suga’s heart at the words –Noya’s finally coming home. “Nishinoya Yuu. He’s our guardian deity.”

“Sounds like a strong kid.” Suga notices that there’s something off in Ukai’s eyes as he says the words, but he doesn’t pry because he knows that prying with his mark is cheating and an invasion of privacy.

“He is. I can’t wait to see him again. The second years will be thrilled.”

“I bet so. Nice timing that he’s coming back with Nekoma arriving. It seems like something big is going to happen. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence and I’m overthinking.”

“No,” the weight falls back down on him as he thinks about Kageyama’s behavior and vision. “No, something _is_ going to happen. Kageyama’s vision –it makes me worry.”

“What did he tell you?”

“He wouldn’t talk about it, but he thought we were all dead –that _he_ was dead. I’m not sure what it means. I know that sometimes death symbolizes loss, but his visions are sometimes very straightforward.”

“We’ll just have to be careful from now on,” Ukai says after a moments pause. “We aren’t sure where the danger in Kageyama’s vision will come from, and until he tells us about it, there’s no way for us to know for sure. For now, we just need to take care of the problem at hand –the eyeball and its user –and try to figure out where to go from there. Foresight’s important, but we live in the present.”

“You’re right,” Suga says, but his worries aren’t necessarily abated. He hopes he doesn’t fixate on it. He needs to be in the right mindset to welcome Nekoma and battle with them. To learn from them.

“Do you have the room assignments written down?” Ukai asks. Suga nods.

“I went over them with Take-chan yesterday and he approves. Daichi and I are sharing with Nekoma’s captain and guard, and the rest are dispersed among our kids evenly. But if Noya’s coming back, we’re going to need to relook at the lists and make sure everything still works.”

“Of course,” Ukai says. “If that other teammate of yours returns, he’d have to room with Noya.”

“Yes, but I highly doubt he will,” Suga says. There’s no way that Asahi will return –despite how much Suga wishes he would. He and Asahi were similar. Both cowards with big hearts. Both afraid of what they are capable of. But Suga’s had it easier than him, a psionic mark controls others; Asahi’s mark keeps him from controlling himself.

Daichi meets them at the doors to the dorms and raises his eyebrows as he sees the pained, blinded eyeball. “What’s-?”

“We need you to put it in the Nether so the user can’t deactivate it. Can you do that?” Ukai asks, being as straightforward as usual. Suga likes his straightforwardness. It reminds him of Ukai’s grandfather before he quit coaching.

“Um, sure,” Daichi nods. His mark starts to glow from under his shirt on his collarbone, a bright golden yellow, as he takes the jar and sticks his hand into a pocket space. “I can retrieve it at any time by bending the Nether around it to bring it back to me.”

“Good. We just need it to stay intact so that we can talk to Coach Nekomata about it when Nekoma arrives,” Suga tells him. Daichi gives him a smile. Suga can’t help but grin back.

“Nekoma’s bus should be arriving in the next thirty minutes or so,” Daichi tells them. “Take-chan just got off the phone with the Nekoma Keeper to give them better directions. Apparently their GPS doesn’t work out here in the country.”

“Not surprising, receptions bad,” Ukai responds. He puts his hands over the two’s shoulders. “Well, I’m going to go and talk to Takeda about what our plans are. You guys got everything covered over here?”

Suga and Daichi nod in affirmation. Ukai grins. “Great. I’ll see you in a bit.”

He strides off towards Takeda’s office leaving Suga and Daichi on their own.

“Oh!” Suga exclaims.

“What?” Daichi asks. His eyes are soft as he watches Suga’s excitement.

“Ukai just told me that Noya’s coming back!”

“Today?”

“I think so, but I’m not sure. He didn’t give me a time.”

“That’s amazing! We have to tell the kids.”

“Tanaka’s going to be so excited,” Suga grins at the thought of it. They all need something to celebrate after what’s just happened. They need a break from the fear.

“Tanaka’s going to be excited for what?” Ennoshita asks, overhearing part of their conversation as he walked by.

“Noya’s coming back,” Suga tells him. Ennoshita’s eyes widen.

“Yuu?”

“Yes,” Suga grins. “Ukai told me on the walk back from the shop.”

“I’m so glad,” Ennoshita’s smile is small, but happy. “We’ve missed him.”

“Everyone has,” Daichi agrees. “We’re going to announce it to everyone. Mind rounding them all up?”

“Hinata’s tending to Kageyama,” Ennoshita informs them. “He’s very distraught because apparently Kageyama is writing up a storm and won’t stop.”

Satisfaction washes through Suga, down his spine. Kageyama must be taking Suga’s advice to write down his visions when he has them. He’s glad he is. He’s sure that once Kageyama clears away his fear of them, he’ll be able to control them better. Maybe even peruse them purposefully, instead of only being shown what’s happening in scattered images. He’s not sure how premonitions or precognition works, but he thinks that if you see something from the future, it’s present in your mind. There should be a way to explore it further.

He and Daichi walk into the commons area and sit down on the couch, waiting for Ennoshita to bring everyone in. Daichi rubs Suga’s shoulder.

“You seem worried.”

Suga sighs. “I am. I’m worried about what happened with the eyes. I’m worried about what happened with Kageyama –I’m afraid of what will happen in the future. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but the more I think about it, the more sure I am that someone will,” he shakes his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “It doesn’t matter though. Ukai told me not to fixate on it, and he’s right. We need to take care of the here and now. Sorry.”

“Don’t say sorry for talking to me,” Daichi tells him. “I’m worried too. I’m scared too. We all are. It’s only natural after everything that happened.”

“I’m just tired of being so cowardly. I just want to run away from everything.”

“You’re not cowardly,” Daichi protests. “I want to run away, too. I wish I didn’t have to deal with all of this. Why us? I can’t stop wondering why this is happening. But even with whatever dangers we’re going to face in the future, we’re together. We’re _all_ together. As long as we stay together and support one another, we’ll be fine.”

Suga’s heart flutters at Daichi’s words and he nods. There’s something about the way Daichi speaks that puts him at ease. There’s a confidence in the way he moves and talks, an assurance that he knows that everything will be okay. “Thanks. I know. I just… I’m a worrywart.”

Daichi chuckles and looks down at his lap. “Let’s focus on the good thing we’re announcing. The fact that Noya’s coming back and how strong we’re going to become by working with Nekoma.”

“You’re right, as usual. Thanks, Daichi.”

“Don’t mention it, Suga.”

They smile at each other and Suga can’t help but want to kiss the smile off of Daichi’s mouth. There’s a charge in the air around them, and he gasps when Daichi’s eyes flicker down to his lips. Suga feels himself moving closer, and Daichi seems to be moving closer to him, but he isn’t sure. Daichi’s breath fans over his lips. Suga’s eyes flutter shut. The light pressure Suga expects doesn’t come. Daichi’s pulling back, his cheeks red. Suga glances over and sees the team filing into the room, taking various seated positions around them. Suga wants to scream, but he’s also glad –he’s not sure what he’d do if he _actually_ kissed Daichi. Maybe it’s better that it didn’t happen.

He looks around the group, glad to see Kageyama seated among them, in between Hinata and Ennoshita. There’s more color in his face and his eyes aren’t red anymore.  Suga recalls what Kageyama looked like as he laid on the floor, twitching and screaming through the vision. Suga recalls how he shoved everyone out of the room so that Kageyama wouldn’t wake up overstimulated and afraid. He’s glad he did –he’s not sure what the others would do if they heard what Kageyama was saying after Suga pulled him out of the vision.

“What’s going on, Daichi?” Tanaka asks. His face is pensive, and Suga doesn’t need a mark to read the anxiety wafting off of the team.

“No need for the worry. We have good news. One of our members is going to be returning from the Institution. We aren’t sure if it’s today or tomorrow, but suffice to say, he’s coming back.”

Tanaka whoops and while Narita and Kinoshita high five each other with matching grins.

“Who?” Tsukishima asks.

“Our Guardian Deity,” Suga grins.

“Guardian Deity? That sounds really cool!” Hinata exclaims. “I want to be a Guardian Deity!”

“Noya’s the _coolest_ ,” Tanaka gushes. “He’s super strong and well-known. He got sent to the Institution after a misunderstanding.”

“What’s the Institution?” Hinata asks. “I mean, I’ve heard of it, but I’m not exactly sure what it is.”

“The Institution is a government-monitored school for marked students who seem to be too dangerous to be kept around unmarked kids,” Daichi explains. “I’m not exactly sure what goes on in there, but it’s supposedly a correctional facility.”

“Sometimes people go there and never come out,” Tsukishima tells Hinata. “Sometimes people go there and _die_. Make sure you behave yourself.”

“I don’t want to _diiiiie_ ,” Hinata groans. “Am I dangerous?”

“You’re not dangerous,” Suga assures him at the same time that Daichi admonishes Tsukishima. Suga continues. “But that’s beside the point. It’s basically an alternative school for marked kids. Since the Mark Laws state that marked students have to stay monitored in a dormitory during high school, students who lose control of their mark and hurt a nomark are sent to the Institution to keep themselves and others safe. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to be used for. What actually happens there, no one really knows except for those who have been sent there. And like Tsukishima said, some marked kids never come out.”

“You were almost sent there, right king?” Tsukishima asks, turning his attention to Kageyama. Suga prepares himself to step in and shut down the conversation, but Kageyama just shrugs one shoulder.

“Yeah, I was. But they deemed my case excusable because I didn’t actually hurt anyone. I agreed to come here to receive training from Ukai.”

“From what I understand, you were the one hurt? How could they put you on trial?” Tsukishima’s mouth is quirked up on the edges. Kageyama’s shoulders tense.

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing came from it,” Kageyama shuts down the conversation. Hinata looks between the two of them, confusion written all over his face.

“Anyway,” Daichi clears his throat, “Noya is coming back, so we’ll finally have a guard again. Not only that, but we’ll be able to start developing more battle strategy. You guys all have a lot to learn from him about defensive maneuvers.”

“Guys,” Takeda calls. “Nekoma’s bus just arrived! Is everything ready?”

“Yes,” Daichi answers. He turns to the group. “Ready to greet them?”

“Ossu!” Everyone yells except for Tsukishima who looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here. The team stands up and follows Daichi and Takeda out of the dorms and out by the training gym where the bus was parked. The Nekoma Battle Unit starts to file out of the bus, laden with duffle bags and suitcases. Suga wonders why the packed so much. It seems like more stuff than for just a week-long stay. Suga stands up Daichi’s side as Nekoma lines up across from them. Ukai shakes hands with an old man that must be Nekomata.

A guy with black, disheveled hair steps forward to shake Daichi’s hand. He must be the captain. He lips are curled into a smile, but Suga can feel the deviousness wafting off of him. “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, the captain of Nekoma. This is my vice-captain, Nobuyuki Kai. Thanks for having us.”

Daichi shakes back. “Sawamura Daichi, and this is my vice-captain, Sugawara Koushi. We’re happy to host you. Though it seems like you’re planning to stay longer than a week?”

“Things are pretty hectic back in Tokyo. Something might happen to keep us from returning promptly, so we packed extra just in case,” Kuroo explains.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that. Wouldn’t want to keep you guys from your home for too long.”

“With the recent lockdown and curfew, we can’t really call it home anymore, can we?”

“Kuroo,” a shorter member calls. Kuroo instantly switches his attention to him. “I’m tired and want to put down my bags.”

“This is Kozume Kenma, our controller,” Kuroo explains. “Think we can go inside and settle in?”

“Of course!” Daichi agrees. “We have the rooming chart on the wall in the dorms. You and your guard are going to be rooming with Suga and me.”

“Wonderful,” Kuroo comments. The two teams walk into the dorms and gather around the list. Daichi gathers the attention to him.

“Right, so rooming will work like this: Kuroo and Yaku are going with Suga and me, Kozume and Yamamoto are staying with Ennoshita and Tanaka, Nobuyuki and Fukunaga are staying with Narita and Kinoshita, and then Inuoka is staying with Hinata and Kageyama, and Shibayama is staying with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.”

The groups start to separate into their rooms, and Suga guides Kuroo and Yaku to his and Daichi’s room. “I hope you guys are fine with sharing a bed. We weren’t able to get anything moved in.”

“It’s fine with us,” Yaku says. “We room together back in our own dorms, so this isn’t too different.”

“I’m glad,” Suga responds. He and Daichi had decided to share Daichi’s bed, and allow Kuroo and Yaku to share Suga’s. If there was a problem, they could always bring in some extra futons to sleep on. “We have futons, if those are needed.”

“Nah,” Kuroo responds, dropping his bag to the floor. Yaku lays down his suitcase. “We’re good like this. So, Sugawara, tell me, what’s your mark ability?”

“Oh, I’m a psionic user with empathy. It lets me manipulate emotions and things like that,” he explains. “You two?”

“I’m energetic and I manipulate mark-based energy found in the environment,” Yaku tells him. Suga hums. It’s an interesting ability –not one that Suga’s seen before.

“I have a combinational mark,” Kuroo tells him. “It lets me copy the abilities and moves of other marked people after I fight them.”

“Wow, that’s powerful,” Suga says with his eyebrow raised. Kuroo shrugs.

“It is, but it’s also hurts my health when I use dimensional abilities because my body isn’t structured like a dimensional user.”

“Explain,” Daichi says as he walks into the room. “I’m a dimensional user myself. I can teleport.”

“Well,” Kuroo starts, “for non-dimensionals, the Nether is very dangerous. I’m not exactly sure about it myself, but Yaku says that the mark energies surrounding dimensional users are very different from those surrounding other marks.”

“Yes,” Yaku pipes in. “Mark energy moves in very specific patterns that differentiates it from other types of energy, but dimensional energy moves in a pattern that is even more different than other mark users. It continually dissipates and appears around the user, instead of spinning continuously. It’s the hardest mark energy for me to manipulate because I can’t keep a firm grasp on it. I theorize that it’s constantly being absorbed and spit out by the Nether, and that’s why dimensional users are able to faze without injuring themselves with it. That could also be why dimensional users tend to be ‘late-bloomers.’ Their mark energy isn’t stable until later on in life.”

“Interesting. I’m sure Hinata will be happy to hear that,” Daichi says. Suga knows that Hinata’s always felt a bit insecure about his lack of knowledge of his mark, and the lateness in which it manifested. He knows that Daichi’s tried to make Hinata feel more secure in himself and his abilities, because Daichi, too, was a ‘late-bloomer.’ After Yaku’s theory, it makes sense, along with the way that there aren’t a large population of dimensional mark users in existence.

“So, what are the plans for today?” Kuroo asks, conversationally. “We’re all pretty exhausted from the trip.”

“Well, I was going to have us do a battle simulation, but moderate training would work as well. Getting to know one another and working on strategy. I’d also like to make use of Nekomata’s fountain of knowledge. We haven’t had a lot of help in understanding marks and what it’s all about since our old coach retired.”

“I’m sure you won’t even need to ask Nekomata to teach. He’ll do it anyway,” Kuroo says, a bit fondly. “He fought in the Mark War, you know.”

“So did Ukai, our current coach’s grandfather. I guess that’s how they know each other,” Suga supplies. “Why don’t we go and see how everyone’s settling in?”

Suga was a bit nervous when he assigned Inuoka to Hinata and Kageyama’s room after Kageyama’s vision. Kageyama’s growing more comfortable with Hinata, and he thinks that Kageyama will allow Hinata to help him if he has another attack. He’s worried that Kageyama won’t be able to relax with Inuoka around, and the stress will cause him to go under again. It seems that his more violent visions are triggered by stress. He was feeling an innumerate amount of stress after dealing with Tsukishima. Daichi places his hand on Suga’s shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. They smile at each other. Kuroo’s eyebrows raise and he opens his mouth, but Yaku jabs him beneath the ribs. Suga decides he likes Yaku.

The four of them walk down the hall and stop by Tanaka and Ennoshita’s room first.

“Hey, city boy! You think you’re _real_ cool, huh? With that nice suitcase? How pretentious,” Tanaka and the Yamamoto guy face down, their expressions mimicking one another, contorted.

“Tanaka,” Suga starts at the same time that Yaku says: “Taketora.”

The two turn to look at them, immediately sheepish. Suga sighs and rubs the back of his neck. He turns to Yaku.

“Sorry about him,” he apologizes. Yaku chuckles and runs a hand through his hair.

“It’s fine. I should apologize as well.”

“There’s no need. They’re just so…”

“Intensely misbehaved.”

“Not exactly the descriptor I would have used, but I agree,” Suga laughs.

“I hope everything’s going well in here?” Daichi’s got the smile on his face that makes shivers run up and down Suga’s spine. He’s not sure how much of it is fear and how much of it is some weird submissive kink, but he knows that he likes that smile.

“Of course, Daichi,” Ennoshita comments from where he’s sitting by Kenma on the bed, showing Kenma some of his scripts. Kenma’s reading one of them, suggesting quiet edits.

“Maybe you should have Satou-san wait a little longer before he realizes that the house is haunted? I think you can milk the haunting more.”

Ennoshita looks at where Kenma is pointing. “I just want the watchers to know that Satou-san knows what’s up. He’s not like other horror movie protagonists –he’s smart, but he’s ignorant when it comes to ghosts –that’s why he hires the psychic to come and help him.”

Kenma nods. “Maybe you can show it in another way that doesn’t necessarily interfere with the plot? I mean, it’s your script and I’m not a writer or anything, but I think that characterization can happen in many different ways. Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. I like getting feedback on my scripts,” Ennoshita smiles at him. Kenma gives a small smile back. “Although, this one’s not really giving me a movie vibe, you know? I wrote too many visual cues.”

“It might be a good video game,” Kenma suggests. Ennoshita taps a red pen against his chin.

“I haven’t thought about that,” he laughs. “Think I can get a job at Nintendo for storyboarding?”

“I’m not sure that’s how they hire. You might have to go to university first,” Kenma giggles.

Kuroo has a fond expression on his face as he watches Kenma and Ennoshita talk. Suga’s seen that expression before, felt it on his own face. They move onto the next room, the one with Narita, Kinoshita, Nobuyuki, and Fukunaga. Narita and Kinoshita are helping the two from Nekoma unpack their bags, showing them the space that they made for them to hang and fold their clothes and store their suitcases. Suga feels a swell of pride at how good Narita and Kinoshita were being to them.

The next room is Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s. It’s as normal as the last. Tsukishima is sitting on the bed, his headphones on and hooked into his computer while Yamaguchi chats with Shibayama. Shibayama seems a bit shy, so Suga’s glad that he put him in a room with Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi won’t overrun him, and Tsukishima’s not going to be rude to him over something like that. Suga’s realized that Tsukishima tends to pick on people that he knows won’t be truly hurt by it (excluding Kageyama), and he won’t do anything that will make Yamaguchi feel uncomfortable. There’s a certain kinship in Yamaguchi and Shibayama’s faces, a certain tentative kindness that he thinks Tsukishima will respect.

There’s a sudden chorus of shouts from Hinata and Kageyama’s room. He and Daichi share a look before the run over. It didn’t sound like Kageyama, but maybe Hinata and Inuoka are screaming because Kageyama collapsed again –

Kageyama is sitting on the edge of his bed, stuffing his hands in his ears as Hinata and Inuoka shout _things_ at one another, seemingly reaching an understanding that no one else can really understand. The look Kageyama sends him is a desperate cry for him. A plea for sanity. Suga pities him. _Please make them be quiet_ , the look says. Suga shakes his head. He can’t help him now.

“I’m glad that they seem to be getting along,” Kuroo says. “Inuoka’s a bit much sometimes.”

“So is Hinata,” Daichi laughs. They walk into the commons area because he knows that Daichi wants to talk to Ukai and Nekomata about training plans. Kuroo and Daichi branch off together, leaving Suga and Yaku.

“Show me around?” Yaku asks. Suga agrees, because he doesn’t have anything else to do, and like he’s previously realized, he likes Yaku. Suga walks Yaku out of the dorms and across the way to the training gym.

“It’s not as high-tech as I’m sure you’re used to in Tokyo, but it works,” Suga unlocks the door and lets the two of them in. He flicks on the lights. “There’s the court where we do battles and train, we have some machines in the equipment room for other training simulations, though he don’t usually use them. We prefer to fight with each other instead.”

“We don’t use it either,” Yaku says. “Nekomata won’t even buy it,” at Suga’s questioning gaze, Yaku adds: “Moral reasons.”

Suga wonders what morals would prevent someone from buying simulation equipment. Suga has a stray thought that Nekomata might be a Peacemonger, but he shuts that thought process down. There’s no reason to speculate and make himself worry. He’s had enough of that particular emotion recently.

“Ours is more monetary than moral,” Suga says. “We don’t have great funding out in the country.”

“I’m not privy to the money documents. Our coaches and keeper take care of that.”

“Ukai just became our coach a few weeks ago in preparation for your arrival. Daichi and I have been running the unit since our old coach retired.”

“That’s impressive. You guys must be good teachers.”

“Not so sure about that,” Suga laughs. “We can only teach what we know and that’s not much.”

“No one knows much,” Yaku says. They leave the training gym and go back to the dorms. People are gathering around the living area, chatting and swapping stories. Suga surveys the group, glad to see Hinata absorbing all the information. He’s a learner, Suga knows, and he’s always willing to take advice and better himself. Kageyama is hovering near Kozume. Ukai and Nekomata are speaking quietly to one another in a corner, their faces severe. Suga quickly looks away.

_Don’t worry_ , he reminds himself. _It’ll all be okay._

“Is dinner ready yet?” Yamaguchi asks. Suga jumps at the sudden appearance before he shrugs.

“I have no idea. Take-chan is making it,” he adds to Yaku, “That’s our keeper.”

Yamaguchi leaves them, going back to the corner occupied by Tsukishima. Shibayama is sitting by Kozume, now engaged in whatever story Tanaka is telling. Kozume has earbuds in and is playing some video game.

“Enjoy the tour?” Kuroo saunters over to where the two of them are standing. Yaku nods.

“It was good. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Suga’s mouth pulls to one side, unsure why he has the sudden feeling of intrusion and why the two of them look like they are sharing secrets. He has the sudden urge to investigate, eavesdrop, learn what’s going on.

“I think that we’re supposed to move into the kitchen now,” Kuroo says. “At least, Sawamura said to start rounding everyone up.”

“Alright,” Suga says amicably, though he can’t help but have an amount of suspicion. So much has happened over the past week, so many things are in the making to happen in the future. He doesn’t want there to be danger for himself or his team. He doesn’t know if Nekoma will bring danger or keep it away. He keeps a firm control over his face and smiles at Kuroo, trying to belay any negativity. He doesn’t want them to know he’s suspicious.

The three of them break apart and start telling the group to go to the kitchen and arrange themselves around the table in whatever way they can. The food is laid out on the table and it looks like a feast. Suga’s mouth waters at the smell. He hasn’t realized it until now, but he hasn’t eaten since breakfast early in the morning. By the ravenous looks in the Karasuno Unit’s eyes, he can tell that they haven’t either.

The group foregoes conversation in lieu of stuffing their faces with Take-chan’s amazing food. Suga wants to cry because it’s so good, and feels a bit cathartic. He’s been so stressed. He tries to push the worry from his mind again. There’s no point in beating a dead horse. There’s no point in stressing until he knows more information. He figures the lack of information is what’s making him so worried. Maybe it won’t be as bad as he expects.

The door opens and the group turns to look at the newcomer.

“Damn, looks like I missed dinner!” he looks at his wrist where a watch would be. “I guess I am three months late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to have this chapter out like 4 months ago, but I ran into some problems deciding the order in which the next few chapters were going to come out. I have chapter 19 mostly written. It was either this one or that one, and I decided that the events of this chapter flowed much better with the previous one.
> 
> I hope you guys like the way I wrote the dissociation and vision. I wanted to make it feel more real what Kageyama's going through by adding that confusing element to the writing. Feedback on the way I put it together would be extremely helpful! 
> 
> You can see my writing plans in the Read My Mark tag on tumblr, or on my blog brokuroo.tumblr.com. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	17. ‘Cause You Never Know When It All Could Be Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> noya returns and some unexpected things happen. will they be alright? who knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Now, I ain't much of a poet but I know somebody once told me  
> To seize the moment and don't squander it  
> 'Cause you never know when it all could be over tomorrow  
> So I keep conjuring, sometimes I wonder where these thoughts spawn from  
> (Yeah, pondering'll do you wonders.  
> No wonder you're losing your mind the way it wanders.)”
> 
> ~~ _The Monster_ (Eminem ft. Rihanna)
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings: anxiety, self-harm, dissociation, amnesia, effects of mental and physical trauma**

The silence surrounding the table at the sudden appearance vanishes in an instant as Tanaka screeches out something indiscernible and leaps across the table towards the newcomer (who looks punk rock in a way that frankly makes Tetsurou a little jealous). This action brings the table to life with shouts and exclamations from the other members of Karasuno (excluding the first years). Tetsurou raises his eyebrows at Yaku. Yaku shrugs back and mouths “how the _fuck_ would I know?” or something to that extent.

“Nishinoya,” Sawamura starts, with a genuine smile on his face. _Nice_ , Tetsurou thinks as his gaze rakes over his jawline, which is quickly followed by: _Fuck. I’m so goddamn **gay**._ “It’s good to see you. Are you feeling okay?”

Tetsurou observes ‘Nishinoya’ with a new sense of awareness, seeing that his skin is a little too pale and a little too gaunt over his bones and that the dark circles under his eyes are most likely _not_ from staying up all night in some fit of teenage rebellion listening to rock music like Five Finger Death Punch or some emo shit like MCR. Despite his seemingly sickness, Nishinoya gives Sawamura a bright grin.

“Of _course_ , I’m fine, Daichi. Well,” he lifts up his leg slightly and scratches at a spot behind his knee, “as fine as someone can be after six months in a correctional facility.”

Daichi’s genuine smile falters at the edges and grows pained as he shares a look with Sugawara. “There’s no shame in needing some R&R, Nishinoya.”

“R&R?” Nishinoya barks out a laugh. “Way to sound like a Lifetime movie set in the 80s. It’s chill. All that matters is I’m out now.” His gaze is a ferocious amber as it rakes across the other faces in the room. “Who’re all these people? Take-chan didn’t tell me we had so many guests. Or? New members?” he moves closer to the table and leans over to stare directly into Tetsurou’s face. “Nah. Too old to be first years. What’s going on?”

“We’re hosting Nekoma,” Sugawara tells him. He puts a hand on Tetsurou’s shoulder. “This is Nekoma’s captain, Kuroo.”

Nishinoya bobs his head up and down. His gaze surveys the table again. “Cool, cool. So, which of these kids are our first years? Do we have any first years?”

Sugawara points to Karasuno’s first years. “Those four. Will you guys introduce yourselves?”

“I’m Hinata Shouyou!” the small orange one exclaims. “You must be the Guardian Deity! That’s so cool!”

Nishinoya’s face flushes a bit at the exclamation and he waves a hand dismissively. “Guardian Deity? Me? Who told you that? Crazy…” Tetsurou cocks his head to the side in interest. For a nickname like that, and his humility about it, the kid is probably strong. He leans back in his chair and rests his arm around the back of Kenma’s and taps his fingers in a code. _Sense him?_ Kenma glances at Tetsurou with wide eyes before he nods. The elongation of Kenma’s mark is a blink-and-miss-it change. The circles on his cheeks simply grow a little rounder with the activation. It’s a silky, inky black color so it doesn’t glow. Tetsurou’s always thought that Kenma’s mark is like him –it’s large and well-defined, but it moves in such small minute, almost shy ways –they both have the appearance of wanting to be noticed, but lack the desire to be seen.

Kenma taps on Tetsurou’s knee.

_He’s strong. Energetic. Barriers._

Tetsurou’s mouth quirks up at the side. _Interesting_ , _why would a defensive mark be sent to a trial at the Institution and lose?_ It’s a question for another time, and Tetsurou is set on discovering why. It could either mean that the kid was seen as dangerous due to personal ideology and reported, or that he was sentenced to six months because of the corruption inherent within the system. Both could work to his and the rest of the Peacemongers’ advantage. They could possibly gain another strong member who can work on creating barriers for the inevitable time when the war becomes known for what it is and also amass even more information as to why the UOME needs to be disbanded for good. Prejudicial judging of marked teens? Tetsurou’s sure even the _media_ , which has a strong bias towards the unmarked, wouldn’t be able to turn that around.

Tetsurou’s mind continues to turn around the situation as the Karasuno Unit screams in what he’s sure is a perfectly normal way for them. This kid could even shed some light onto what actually goes on in the Institution. It’s super hush-hush, and the kids rarely leave without some kind of mental block on their memories or with their memories of their time completely stripped from them (if they happen to come back). Maybe he would even know, or have at least an idea, of what happens to the kids who never are allowed to leave.

He’s a well of information, waiting to be exploited.

_For the greater good, of course._

(Because that makes it okay, right?)

Tetsurou briefly wonders when he became so manipulative.

He taps out: _We need him_.

Kenma dips his head, looking down at his food in a gesture that could be seen as a natural want to finish eating, but the upward glance at the kid and then at Tetsurou shows Tetsurou that Kenma understands and agrees. Kenma reaches for his chopsticks and pulls some noodles into his mouth, sucking them up with a light slurping sound.

“Well, I’m off,” Nishinoya says suddenly, and Tetsurou’s attention snaps back to him.  Nishinoya slings the strap of his large duffle bag over his shoulder. The Ennoshita kid Kenma had enjoyed being around wraps his hand around Nishinoya’s wrist.

“Yuu, wait.”

Nishinoya gives him a fierce look. “Don’t try to stop me, Chikara. You knew I wouldn’t come back if he wasn’t here anymore.”

“Noya, you can’t leave. You have to stay with the Unit or you’ll be sent back to the Institution,” Tanaka says, a hand on Nishinoya’s shoulder. Nishinoya can’t meet his friends’ eyes. He looks off to the side, seemingly petulant.

“Do I look like I fuckin’ care? If Asahi’s gone, so am I.”

“He might come back,” Ennoshita starts, but Nishinoya cuts him off with a scoff.

“Chikara, you know I ain’t one to hang around because of a ‘maybe.’ Make it an absolute or I’m not interested,” he throws the last part of his statement at Sawamura, who has a pinched look on his face.

“Nishinoya, I’m not going to let you walk out that door. You can’t run off on your own. At least stay here while we work on finding Asahi and bringing him back.”

Tetsurou meets Yaku’s eyes over the table and trades a look that says: _we stumbled onto some **shit**_ (at least on Tetsurou’s side, but he thinks he knows Yaku well enough by now to be sure that they’re thinking the same thing.)

“Hey,” Tetsurou calls some attention to himself, “now this isn’t really my place to step in because I have no idea what’s going on, but I do know that the UOME will use any reason they find to send someone who’s been released from the Institution back. It’ll be safer for you to stay with your Unit. Maybe this Asahi guy will come back and maybe he won’t, but if he’s any friend of yours, he wouldn’t want you to be sent back to the Institution because of him.”

Nishinoya scowls at him, but relents. “Asahi’s too soft-hearted to want me to go back, even if he’s pissed,” Nishinoya sighs. “Fine. I’ll stay on campus, but I ain’t participating in anything until we can drag Asahi back here, even if it’s by the little hairs of his beard.”

The tension that had been in the lines of Karasuno’s upperclassmen’s shoulders fades into a type of mental exhaustion. Tetsurou noticed it when they first arrived. Something bad must have happened. Tetsurou’s been in enough fights with UOME agents, seen enough shit (the expressions in his mother’s face as she remembers the tail-end of the Mark War) to recognize some amount of internal torment. Tetsurou’s hit by another wave of curiosity. He starts to think that staying with Karasuno and not returning to the military rule of Tokyo will be a good decision.

“Great,” Sugawara says, his voice filled with relief. “Since we’re hosting Nekoma, we’ll have to set you up a futon in Tanaka and Ennoshita’s room.”

Nishinoya shrugs as if it doesn’t bother him at all to be sleeping on the floor. Tetsurou’s sure that he’s dealt with worse in the Institution. Tetsurou’s not sure what goes on inside the mysterious facility, but he’d be surprised if it was anything short of torture. Tetsurou has seen the broken faces of people who’ve come out, seen the pre-disposition to violence or to catatonia or to delirium or to muscle spasms or to intense emotional responses to insignificant stimuli.

“Uh,” Sugawara glances at Taketora and Kenma, “that is if you two don’t mind? Sorry, we didn’t know that he’d be returning this week until shortly before your arrival.”

Kenma looks a little wary of what havoc might be wrought by Taketora, Tanaka, and Nishinoya in the same vicinity, but he shakes his head. “It’s fine with me.”

Taketora just shrugs his one shoulder, making a saintly expression. “I don’t mind at all, the kid needs a place to sleep.” Nishinoya scowls at Taketora.

“Who’re ya callin’ a ‘kid?’ Is it because of my height, haah?”

Taketora laughs. “Nah man, I know better by now than to make height jokes.” His brief glance at Yaku doesn’t go unnoticed. Yaku nods at him, stiffly, with acknowledgement at his restraint.

“Good. Because if you did, I’d have to knock out your front teeth, and who’d be getting’ any ladies then?”

Taketora gasps. “Dude. Ruining my chances with the ladies? That’s fuckin’ sick.”

Nishinoya shrugs. “You’d deserve it.”

“Yeah, don’t fuck with my man Noya,” Tanaka bounces from behind Nishinoya, making a face at Taketora.

“Thanks, bro,” Nishinoya responds, patting Tanaka on the arm. The macho posturing ends abruptly for some bro-love between the two in question, and Sawamura takes the reins of the situational horse and pulls.

“Alright, that seems like enough excitement for one night. We already finished eating, but we have some leftovers for you, if you’d like.”

Nishinoya shakes his head. “Nah. ‘s fine, Daichi. I’m not really hungry. I’d rather just set up that futon you guys mentioned and go to sleep.”

Sawamura looks at him with sympathy. “Of course. I understand. Ennoshita, why don’t you go with Noya and help him get situated in the room.

“Sure,” Ennoshita agrees, looking like he really didn’t care about anything at all. Tetsurou wondered how someone could go through life so unbothered, but then again, he’d shown some emotion with Nishinoya’s return, and it’s not like Tetsurou knows the kid or anything. Kenma looks pretty emotionless but he cares much more about people than anyone Tetsurou had ever met.

“ _I care about you_.”

Tetsurou feels like shivering as he remembered what happened when he had risked his life to steal that game for Kenma. It was a stupid, reckless thing to do, in hindsight (because hindsight is a bitch when foresight sucks), but the expression on Kenma’s face afterward was so _loving_ that Tetsurou could convince himself that Kenma might like him, too.

Tetsurou’s a lot of things that he denies (manipulative, utilitarian), but he won’t deny that he’s a little desperate for Kenma’s attention. Which is why he’s been trying to find other guys to like, to try and soften the blow that will one day be dealt when Kenma finds someone else. So for now, he’ll pine in the distance.

Ennoshita and Nishinoya start to head out of the room with a quiet atmosphere between them. Sawamura turns to the group.

“Well, now it’s time for the rest of us to clean up the dishes,” he turns a sly smile to Tetsurou. “I’m sure you’ll help us with that, won’t you?”

Tetsurou returns it, tenfold. “It _would_ be rude for us to make you do all the work.”

* * *

“I’ll set up the futon if you want to start unloading your stuff into the closet,” Chikara tells him, unrolling the futon that had been stored under his bed. Yuu shakes his head vehemently.

“You don’t have to do that, Chikara. I can take care of it myself. You should go back to hang out with those Nekoma people.”

Chikara gives him a weird look and Yuu curses himself and his suddenly racing heart. “If you don’t want me here, that’s your choice, but I thought you’d prefer the company after coming out of the Institution.”

The headache from earlier in the kitchen, when everyone had been screaming at him about staying and not leaving, returns and Yuu starts to feel a little choked. He tries to squash the feeling back down into his stomach and stop the furious pounding of his heart. He hadn’t been feeling well for the past hour that he’d returned to the Unit.

His fingers twitch at his side and he quickly moves himself to make it seem like he had an itch on his stomach. Chikara looks a bit bothered by his behavior but doesn’t question it. Yuu can’t help himself and shakes his head again.

“Seriously, Chikara. If you wanna go, you can. I’m more than capable of setting up a futon and getting settled. The Institution didn’t mess me up _that_ bad.”

( _That’s not the truth. That’s not the truth. That’s not the truth_ , his mind repeats, hissing)

 There’s a sudden sense of cold, like someone pouring freezing water into his brain and the thoughts vanish. Yuu’s body freezes up as he realizes that Chikara is saying something.

“-care about you.”

“What?” Yuu asks. “Sorry, I got lost in thought for a second there.”

“I just said that it’s no problem. We want to help you because we care about you.”

Yuu freezes again and squints his eyes at the phrasing. He mouths the words _‘want to help you’_ because he can’t for the life of him remember why he needs help or what he’d possibly need help with. He looks around, seeing his duffle bag on Chikara’s bed and a futon roll in his arms. _Help you. **Help** you. Help **you**? _

Chikara’s face looks worried, more worried than Yuu’s seen it since, well, since he got taken away by UOME agents in the middle of the night and sent to the Institution. A memory hits his brain, like a sledgehammer of needles and poking and screaming, but suddenly the cold feeling is back and Yuu can’t remember what he’d even been remembering or why he’d been remembering it.

“Yuu?” Chikara asks, suddenly close and Yuu flinches away from a hand coming towards him. The hand stills in the air and Yuu realizes that the phantom hand belongs to Chikara. Yuu tries to laugh it off.

“What, were you going to ruffle my hair or somethin’? Haven’t had that done to me for a while, just surprised me is all.”

“Yuu, are you _okay_?” Chikara asks, putting his hand back down awkwardly at his side. He sets the futon roll down on the floor. Yuu shrugs, because sure, he’s fine.

“Yeah, duh, if I wasn’t fine I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the Institution.”

“No, I mean like. Emotionally?”

Yuu nods his head with a dramatic gesture and makes a loud popping sound with his lips, as if thinking about his state of being. “Yeah. I’m good. Promise, soldier.”

_Soldier._

( _Blackdarkhandpainstab”watchyourgoddamnmouth **soldier** ”-)_

Yuu’s shaking –no, he’s being shook –and Chikara’s hands are on his shoulders and his voice is soft. “Yuu, calm down, breathe. What’s wrong?”

Yuu feels his heart racing and fights down a strong wave of nausea and vertigo. “Nothing, nothing. I just…” he’s at a loss for words. Arguing with everyone really took it out of him. Maybe it is better that he wasn’t going off on his own to find Asahi. Where would he sleep anyway? That was a dumb idea, to try and travel on his own when he can’t even remember what happened a few minutes ago.

“Here, let me,” Chikara starts to roll out the futon for him. Yuu feels a strange sense of dissociation from the action. What did the futon matter to him? Why was he feeling anxious about Chikara rolling it out? He thinks really hard, wishing the cogs of his brain would rotate _faster_ when he remembers.

“Chikara! I said to not to!” Yuu exclaims bending down next to Chikara and slapping his hands away. “I told you to go and hang out with everyone.”

“Yuu, did you… forget? That you didn’t want me to do this?” Chikara asks, his voice hesitant. Yuu flails his arms.

“Of course not! I -,” he stops, “-I guess I did. I’ve been suffering from a pretty bad migraine for the past hour or so. And I think it’s affecting my memory? I don’t fucking know. I’ve never really had migraines before, but it sucks,” Yuu starts to ramble. Chikara’s making an even _more_ worried face at him and it just makes Yuu speed up his speech, almost as if his brain is trying to catch up with the furious pace of his heart. “So I kind of forgot what you were saying? And I just remembered but I totally think you should go and hang out with everyone. I won’t be good company because I really think I should just go ahead and go to sleep because I’m pretty bushed like who wouldn’t be after coming out of the Institution? That’s a hole of hell. Hell hole? Who even thinks hell is a hole anyway? Like Satan doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would set up in the fucking ground because he seems like the type who’d try and take over the sun for the sake of irony or some shit I don’t know-.”

“Yuu!” Chikara cuts him off. Yuu snaps his mouth shut and stares at Chikara, feeling nervous. “Migraines don’t cause short-term memory loss. That’s… not what should happen,” he looks pensive. “Maybe you should ask Take-chan about it, or even go to Suga to see if you’re okay? Like, that your brain is fine after whatever you went through in the Institution?”

A visceral response curls up inside of Yuu before he can even differentiate where it comes from –the thought of someone inside his head, digging around –it makes panic scramble into his stomach and throat. “ _No._ ”

“Why not?” Chikara asks him, seeming confused at the notion that Yuu feels fear from something Suga could do to him. Yuu’s unsure of where the fear comes from himself, but he can’t fight it and that kills him. He shouldn’t be afraid of Suga, and yet there’s something about the thought of psionics that bothers him to his core.

Noya shakes his head quickly. “It’s not Suga, I swear. It’s just. Too soon after the Institution for someone to go rooting around in my head.”

A shiver of anxiety passes through Chikara, an emotion that Yuu feels all too familiar with at the moment, though Yuu is unsure what Chikara is afraid of about his head being violated –

- _Oh._

His anxiety increases tenfold. “I _swear_ they didn’t go through my memories. I _swear_. They didn’t find out about, you know, the whole _members of an illegal organization_ thing.”

“This isn’t good. Are you certain?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Yuu enunciates soundly, though he sees the doubt in himself reflected in Chikara’s face. He forgot that he wanted Chikara not to help him _during_ the conversation. He thinks back to the periods of intense cold on his brain, and shivers.

“Yuu, if they _know,_ we could be under investiga-” Chikara cuts himself off abruptly, his face becoming blank. “Look, it doesn’t matter right now. Let’s get you settled in to sleep. We can talk about it in the morning once you’ve rested and eaten. You don’t look too hot, man.”

“Do I look sick enough to make Kiyoko take care of me?”

“No,” Chikara tells him without any hesitation. “But I, and the rest of our team, will.” Chikara takes a pillow out of the closet and a thick blanket. He lays them out on top of the futon. “Go ahead and lay down. I’ll be back to check on you in ten minutes and if I see you up and doing something, I swear to god, you’ll regret it.”

Yuu lays down on the futon as Chikara leaves the room with a pointed glare and stares at the ceiling, shifting around on the futon to get comfortable. He feels antsy, restless, despite the exhaustion weighing him down and the pain hanging over his head. He rubs his forehead and feels a longing for Ryuu to be in the room with him, cracking jokes and saying stupid shit to make him feel better. To reassure him. _Fuck_ , he thinks, feeling, frankly, like shit. _Fuck. If we get caught and arrested, it’s **my** fault. _ He searches his brain for some information as to what was taken from him, but he can’t find anything specific. He can’t _remember_. It’s frustrating, the fact that he can’t think of any specifics about the Institution and what happened to him there. He knows from the pain and the scars he’s become aware of over the past few hours that they did things to him, but he can’t for the life of him remember what they are.

He doesn’t even know where the Institution is. They drove him in, locked in the back of a van, tied up and sedated on some type of drug, and he was driven out the same way. He doesn’t even know what he’d been put on. He doesn’t know if his forgetfulness is caused by some type of sedation tactic used within the facility, or if it was because of some type of psionic torture/interrogation. Really, with the UOME at the head, it could be both. He frowns as he remembers getting captured by the SSF in the first place, being shot full of a tranquilizer to shut down his ability to use his mark to defend himself. It’s not like the UOME has ever cared about drugging marked kids anyway; so, what’d stop them from doing it gratuitously in their own, unregulated center?

He has a sudden prickling sensation and he rubs his hands over his arms, feeling bumps on his skin. The sensation grows stronger and suddenly he’s strapped down and there are hands touching his body, jabbing him with needles and stitching him up and the sound of beeping coming from somewhere in his head. His mouth is filled with cotton and he can barely breathe. He struggles against the restraints, and feels something stinging in his arm, pinching horribly, but he can’t make any sound other than the muffled whines and whimpers of pain around the gag in his mouth. His breathing becomes heavier and harder to take in and he smells the scent of blood in the air, tastes it in his mouth, even –

He comes to, gasping, with Chikara grabbing his arms and holding them firmly.

“Chi-Chikara?” he asks, blinking deeply. “What’s happening?”

“Yuu, you’re hurt,” Chikara tells him, his voice shaking. Yuu becomes aware of a throbbing pain in his wrist.

“ _Noya…_ ” Ryuu’s voice sounds horrified. Yuu’s head snaps up to where he’s standing in the doorway, staring down at him. “What did they _do_ to you? I… I’m going to go and get some bandages.”

“Don’t forget Neosporin,” Chikara calls after him. Yuu stares at his bleeding arm, not comprehending what he was seeing.

“What happened?”

Chikara makes a pained noise. “Yuu, you scratched yourself until you bled. It’s lucky I came back to check on you when I did.”

Ryuu runs back into the room and slams the door, a wad of gauze and bandages in his hands. He hands them to Chikara. “I brought extra so that we can clean up the blood to apply the Neosporin.” The two start to blot at the blood coming from his arm. As they work on it and reality starts to set in, the throbbing becomes stronger.

“Fuck,” he says, “this sucks. This isn’t good.”

“I mean, yeah. It really fucking sucks,” Ryuu agrees. “Like what the fuck dude? What the hell happened to you?”

Yuu shakes his head, unsure, because now that he’s rooted to reality, he can’t even remember what overtook him. He can’t remember hurting himself. He can’t remember anything and it just. _Fucking. **Sucks.**_

“You don’t remember, do you?” Chikara asks him. Ryuu’s head whips to Chikara, and then back to Yuu. Yuu feels like shit even more than he did previously. Making his friends worry? _What an ass._

“What do you mean? Chikara? Noya?” Ryuu looks between the two of them.

“Yuu’s been having some memory problems. We noticed them earlier when I was helping him get settled,” Chikara explains. Yuu feels numb, which is not a sensation he’s had outside of the Institution.

Ryuu looks down at Noya’s arm and the bloody fabric he’s holding in his hand. His hand closes around it and the cloud of insurmountable rage passes over his face. It’s a serious emotion, not something Yuu would associate with him. “Those _fuckers_. How is this okay? How can they get away with this?”

“Get away with what, exactly?” Yuu asks, feeling suddenly angry. “Because I don’t even know what happened to me in the Institution! I can’t remember my time there at all! I don’t know if they hurt me or if I just fuckin’ snapped and went crazy or whatever.”

“Noya, they’ve _obviously_ done something to you. We’ve been best friends for years! I know you. You’re sick, man. You didn’t even want to eat anything when you got here and you used to eat a fuckin’ ton every single day. Something happened to you, even if you don’t remember. Maybe it’s like… selective amnesia or some shit? Or like hidden by some psionic barrier. If you let Suga look at you-.”

“ _No_. No one’s poking around in my head. I don’t want anyone in there.”

“You can’t stay hurt, bro. You gotta get better and ya can’t if ya don’t know what’s wrong with you in the first place.”

Yuu growls, because he _knows_ Ryuu’s right, but he has such a strong aversion to someone looking inside his head again. Ryuu makes a growling noise back. Yuu glares at him. Ryuu matches his expression.

Chikara clears his throat. “Guys, seriously? Oh, whatever.” He continues to dress Yuu’s injury. He finishes it quickly without Ryuu’s fumbling fingers getting in his way and pats Yuu’s arm. “Done. You want us to stay with you? Or do you want to come into the common area with everyone?”

There’s no decision for Yuu to make. The thought of going to sleep fills him with an animal panic, though he isn’t really sure why. “I’ll come out with you guys. Just let me -,” he goes to dig in his duffle bag, pulling out a sweatshirt and putting it on. “This way they won’t see my arm. I’m sure they already know something happened with Ryuu grabbing the bandages and shit, but at least this way they won’t know anything for sure,” he pauses, his mouth curling to the side. “Unless you told them?”

Ryuu and Chikara both shake their heads, easing some of Yuu’s worries. Together, the three of them walk into the common area where the two combined units are sitting around and talking. Daichi looks up at them with a smile and waves them over. He’s sitting with the captain of Nekoma whose name Yuu can’t recall, Suga, and the shorter Nekoma team member.

“Wassup Daichi and Co.?” Yuu asks, plopping down on the floor in front of them sitting cross-legged. Ryuu and Chikara join him on the carpet.

“We were thinking about having a quick match between our members to kick off training before we do more in depth exercises tomorrow. I know you probably don’t want to fight with us, but you’re strong and a good fighter. We’d be glad to have you watch and tell us what you think of our members,” Daichi explains. Yuu frowns. He really doesn’t want to join practice in any way without Asahi (it feels sacrilegious), but he’s also technically not _participating_ , just helping, and Yuu likes to help people improve themselves. Marked kids gotta be strong in this world.

He shrugs. “I guess I can. But I’m seriously _not_ going to fight. Not without Asahi out there with us.”

“I know,” Daichi says quickly. “Like I said, we just want your opinions and advice.”

At Yuu’s acquiescence, Daichi and the Nekoma captain gather the two units together and lead them to the gym. Yuu follows along at the back with Ryuu (who’s making snide comments about Taketora under his breath). It feels surreal to be back at Karasuno, talking to everyone again after so long being locked up in a government facility. He’s missed the comradery, the easy joking and laughing, the way everyone seems to just _click_. But despite missing it, there’s a part of him that’s disgusted by the easy manner everyone has when Asahi, the pivotal part of Karasuno, isn’t with them anymore. He’s always had a strange sort of obsession with the guy, but who can blame him? Asahi’s pretty fucking awesome. He’s strong, talented, _tall_. Everything anyone could ever want to be, at least in Yuu’s opinion. How can they even make a functional team without him? So, he was a fucking coward like all the goddamn time, but Yuu feels himself having slightly more sympathy with the intense anxiety he’s been experiencing since his release.

Asahi quit the team, battling, because of fear. Yuu hadn’t understood it at first, because Yuu had never been one to know fear, but after the past few hours, Yuu can only imagine what kind of fear Asahi had been feeling. Yuu might have even been convinced to fight with everyone, at least once to celebrate his homecoming, but the very thought of being hurt more makes him want to bolt.

At least his mark gives him the ability to create barriers, so he can protect himself from others. But that begs the question: why didn’t he protect himself in the Institution? He was probably sedated with some drug. He wouldn’t put it past them. He was sent to stay there because he was a “danger” after all, of course they wouldn’t take any chances with his “unnatural propensity for violence,” as the ruling at his tribunal stated.

_Unnatural propensity for violence, my ass_ , he thinks to himself. Just because he had attacked Asahi during the middle of a School Day, and his barrier went a little too wide and knocked over the VP doesn’t mean he has an “unnatural propensity for violence.” The VP should have known better than to get involved. Yuu should have known better than to try and confront Asahi in the hallways. He shouldn’t have lost his temper and reacted. But Yuu doesn’t have a nature for self-restraint and calculation. He moves on instinct, reacts without thought. It’s what makes him strong on the court. However, it doesn’t always work in his favor in the real world.

“So, should we do an introduction of abilities?” Daichi asks the Nekoma captain. The Nekoma captain chuckles to himself.

“Don’t you think it would be more fun as a surprise?” The smile on his face is devious. Daichi’s is hard when he returns the expression. Yuu has the sudden thought that Daichi’s met his match in this captain. The Nekoma captain continues. “We already introduced our abilities to each other, so why not let the others fight it out with all they have? Maybe they’ve told each other themselves. I, for one, am excited to see the outcome of this battle.”

“It’s safer for people to be prepared for what they’re fighting. We can prevent injuries if we share,” Daichi crosses his arms over his chest.

“O’ Captain, my Captain, it’s better preparation for the real world for them to fight without knowing what the other person can do.”

“They have lists in official matches that they release when the matches are decided.”

“True, but in the coming weeks, fighting in ‘official matches’ will be the least of your worries,” Nekoma’s Captain pauses. “Tokyo’s under military rule. There’s a curfew on marked people. SSF agents and policemen crawl the streets to suppress anyone out past the curfew. Marked teens and adults are shot and arrested every single night. That’s the real world. These kids need to be prepared. Miyagi might not be the next region on the UOME’s agenda, but it’s better to act preemptively for whatever shit will be thrown your way.”

Yuu is shocked at Nekoma Captain’s speech. _Tokyo’s under military rule?_

Daichi’s mouth is pinched into a line, but he gives Nekoma Captain a stiff nod. “I’d heard that there was a curfew in Tokyo, but I had no idea it was so bad.” He sighs. “We’ll do things your way.”

Surprise flashes past Nekoma Captain’s face before he covers it up with a slightly smug look. He raises his voice to speak to everyone, though it’s an unnecessary gesture, because he had been speaking loud enough and commanding attention during his entire interaction with Daichi. Yuu squints his eyes at him and then observes the fear on the faces of the Karasuno Unit and the hidden anger in the team from Nekoma, the clenching of their jaws and firm set of their shoulders. Yuu can’t be sure, but he thinks that if Nekoma Captain’s purpose in that scene was to push forth an agenda, he succeeded.

_I bet he’s a Peacemonger_ , Yuu thinks. As a member of the PM himself, he feels like he has a certain aptitude for picking out the others.

The two teams follow the separate directions of the two captains and separate onto opposite sides of the court.

“Ah, Noya! Could you…?” Daichi gestures to the switches on the wall that set up the barrier to keep the battle contained on the court.  Yuu nods and goes to the panel and starts to set the settings, turning them all on for safety. He doesn’t know what the Nekoma team and the Karasuno first years can do. The barrier flickers to life around the edges of the court and Yuu sits down outside of it, ready to watch the battle commence.

* * *

_We lost_ , Daichi thinks to himself as he lays on the floor, panting and sore. He thinks about the intensely efficient moves of Nekoma, defending against attacks and countering brutally. He’s never felt himself lose a battle so fast. _How long did it last? Ten minutes? The fuck? How can one team be so strong?_

A hand is offered to him and he sits up to see Kuroo smirking down at him. He wants to say that they would have won if they knew what Nekoma could do, but he knows that’s not the truth. Nekoma is stronger than them, and even if he had been given a strategic advantage, they would still have been at a loss on how to defeat Nekoma. He accepts the hand, because it would feel rude to reject it, and is pulled to his feet. The Nekoma Unit doesn’t even look _tired_ , which he guesses is to be expected when they thoroughly wrecked Daichi and his team without it even seeming to take the slightest bit of effort on their part.

“You guys are strong,” Daichi says. Kuroo nods, his face smug and annoying. “We have a lot to learn from you.”

There’s something strangely pleased on Kuroo’s face, as if he wants to help Karasuno, but also a certain darkness of thought lurking beneath. “We’ll do what we can to help you guys become more powerful. You have a lot of potential from what I saw, you just lack team unity and knowledge about how to fight efficiently. The quick attack from that little orange kid and the dark haired first year was amazing, though."

Daichi shudders, remembering it. Hinata had moved so fast and it felt almost if time had slowed down for everyone except for him. He had flown up into the air and come down so fast and hard at Inouka, Daichi almost missed it. It was one of the few hits they’d actually been able to make on Nekoma, before Nekoma adapted their strategy to fight against it.

“Hinata and Kageyama have a good chemistry to their mental link. I think it has to do with Hinata being reactive enough to respond instinctually to the feeling of Kageyama’s precognition. The rest of the team is still getting used to Kageyama’s mind directing them.”

A whistle is blown, grabbing the attention of both units. Ukai, Take-chan, Nekomata, and Manabu are standing together, all looking somewhat grim. Daichi knew that the four of them had been in talks since Nekoma had arrived, leaving himself and Kuroo to their own devices to decide what to do with the units.

“Everyone, gather ‘round and take a seat. We have a lot we need to discuss,” Nekomata commands. Daichi sits himself down next to Suga, knowing Suga will need comfort for whatever is going to be discussed. It looks grim. Kuroo drags Kozume with him, coming to sit next to Daichi. Fukunaga sits down next to Kenma, and the rest of the teams’ members gather themselves behind them.

Once everyone is situated on the ground, Nekomata starts to speak. “During our discussions over training and the length of time we will be hosted, a sudden and worrying situation was brought up by Coach Ukai seeking advice. I have agreed to work with Coach Ukai and Takeda to try and solve this issue, and they have agreed to house us longer than the week we had been promised. As marked people, we know that we have to stick together in times of trouble.”

“Coach, what are you talking about?” Kuroo asks from the ground. “What situation?”

Nekomata gestures for Ukai to start speaking. Ukai steps forward. “Over the past week, we have discovered that my store, _Sakanoshita_ , had been infiltrated by an enemy mark user. This user has a mark that allows them to create eyes which have the ability to spy. We are unsure the extent to which the eyes are able to do so, but we believe that along with allowing the user to see us, they also give them the ability to hear us. We believe the user to be associated with either the UOME’s rumored Secret Suppression Forces, or to be a part of the rebel organization that’s been traveling through Japan, murdering keepers. We discovered the eyes only a few days after I had seen two suspicious people, one with a psionic mark on the side of their neck, stalking our keeper, Takeda. Whichever group the constructs have been sent from, it’s bad news, and with what’s happening in Tokyo, the violence and riots, we agreed amongst ourselves that it’s safer for everyone to come together and work together.”

“We’re living in extremely turbulent times,” Takeda pipes up, putting a hand on Ukai’s arm. “There’s power in numbers. Official battling has been banned in Tokyo as of today, and it’s probable that it will be shut down all together. Here, the Nekoma Unit will be able to practice and become stronger without fear of being monitored by the UOME.” Takeda sighs and tugs at the sleeves of his jacket. “I know that I’m technically a part of one of the UOME’s subcommittees by being a keeper, but I have no loyalty to an organization that would hurt children and spread rumors and lies about them to further their own political agenda.”

“With all of us working together, if there does come a point where we need to fight for our freedom and rights as human beings, we’ll already be strong and prepared. We need to become one unit. We will help each other become stronger and share the knowledge we possess. The petty divisions of schools and units is only a way to further divide us. We need to rally together for our own protection,” Nekomata continues. “That’s why we will be staying with Karasuno until things are worked out in Tokyo. I know there was already some idea in my unit that this would be happening. We just wanted to let you know what has been decided. We aren’t sure how long we will be staying, but as soon as we know anything, you will be informed.”

“Now, I would like to ask for Kozume to come with us,” Ukai addresses him. Kozume stiffens, looking nervous, before he smooths it over in an act of apathy. “We think your mark can help us track down the user who tried to spy on us. Sawamura, you come as well. We need to get the eye out of the Nether.”

Daichi and Kozume stand up and follow Ukai, Takeda, and the other two coaches into the office. Daichi’s thoughts are a mess. _What’s the point of having a United Organization for Marked Equality if they don’t do anything but subjugate marked people? The goal of the UOME is obviously not protection, but oppression. If that’s true, then shouldn’t we be fighting against it?_

He doesn’t care that Nekoma has to stay with them. In fact, he thinks it’s better this way because no one should have to be afraid to leave campus. It was disturbing to hear Kuroo talk like he lives in a warzone, when he’s only 17 or 18 years old. He shouldn’t have to know what it’s like to live in fear. The first years shouldn’t have to know what it’s like to live in fear. None of them should know what that’s like. They shouldn’t have to worry about what’s going to happen to them, if they will live or die, if they will sustain some injury that’ll affect them for the rest of their lives, they shouldn’t be ripped from their homes at the age of 15. They should worry about sneaking out in the middle of the night and getting caught by their parents and grounded, not by the police and arrested and sent to a correctional facility run by a corrupt government.

It hasn’t hit Daichi before now the reality of their situation. That because he was born with a mark on his skin, he has to be subjected to oppression, that he can’t decide how to live his own life. He should be able to achieve whatever he wants to, regardless of the fact that he can teleport and control the Nether. Everyone should have the right to _choose_ , because the acquisition of _choice_ is what makes people human.

_Do they even **see** us as human? _ He asks himself, enraged.

Ukai shuts the door to the office behind them and Daichi takes that as his cue to retrieve the jar. He closes his eyes and activates his mark, directing the energy to his hand. He visualizes himself reaching into the Nether, a plane of both existence and nonexistence, pulling it around him until he reaches the jar. He thinks about the feeling of the jar in his hand, the shiver of the construct inside, and grabs a hold of it. He opens his eyes and pulls his hand back into the realm of reality. He hands the jar over to Ukai. Ukai takes it from him and sets it down on his desk.

“I want you to sense this and try and see if you can read what mark the user has, and if he has any alternate abilities. Can you also see about the abilities of this construct in particular?” Ukai asks Kozume. Kozume nods and holds out his hands. Ukai puts a hand on his shoulder. “Just warning you, Kageyama got possessed by the user when he tried to get a reading on it. You have a very different mark from him, but I still want you to be careful. If you feel something strange coming from it, deactivate your mark.”

Kozume bobs his head once and activates his mark. There’s a serene look on his face as he senses the abilities of the mark user. The ability strikes a chord in Daichi’s memory, an almost suspicion, but he puts it aside. _Something about what Ukai said…_

After a few more minutes, Kozume steps back. “The mark user seems to use these constructs for espionage, like you had originally said. His mark ability seems to revolve directly around these eyes and his ability to use them all at once. Maybe a perception mark. Anyway, there was no indication that this mark user has the ability to possess people. There’s nothing in the energy around the construct that would suggest that.”

“So what you’re saying, is that if Kageyama was possessed, it was done by a different mark user? A different psionic?”

Kozume nods again. Daichi frowns and takes the jar. He thrusts it back into the Nether.

“This way they definitely won’t be able to hear us.”

He’s met with approval from the coaches.

“This information is evidence that the constructs are part of a larger scheme,” Ukai rubs his forehead. “If only we could know for certain what they want from us...”

“I’d gander that they’re not after the keeper,” Manabu says thoughtfully. “There’d be no reason to possess your kid if that was the point, and you said that when he was possessed, the mark user made him say something along the lines of ‘I’m watching you?’ seems like they’re after your unit, or that Kageyama kid, specifically.”

“Also, with all of their constructs destroyed, we should keep a lookout for them coming around again to lay more,” Nekomata says. “If they actually are a part of the SSF, then they’ll try it again.”

“Thanks for your help, you two. You can head back to the others now,” Ukai dismisses them. Daichi and Kozume head back to the dorm in relative silence. Daichi’s not one to make small-talk and Kozume doesn’t seem like the type to appreciate it. Daichi holds the door open for Kozume when they walk back into the dorms. Only a few people are loitering in the commons area.

“Sleep well,” Daichi tells Kozume with a wave as he heads off to his room. Neither Suga nor his two new roommates are in the commons, so he might as well join them. He has a bad feeling about whatever mischief Suga and Kuroo would be able to get up to together. Kozume waves back at him and heads into his room with Tanaka, Ennoshita, Noya, and Taketora.

Daichi opens his door and steps inside. Kuroo and Suga are laughing about something in the corner while Yaku has earbuds in, reading a book. The two look up at him when he enters, meet eyes, and start to giggle again. Daichi looks between the two of them, confused.

“What’s so funny?” he asks. Suga can’t seem to quit laughing, his shoulders shaking. Kuroo doesn’t seem to be in any better of state. “Seriously, what’s so funny?”

“Nuh-Nothing,” Suga stammers, starting another fit of giggles. Daichi frowns deeply at the. Suga’s giggle may be cute, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are giggling at _him_. What did he do? _What did Suga tell Kuroo?_ Daichi’s too stern to do many embarrassing things, but Suga _has_ been his roommate since their first year, so he’s bound to have some stories.

“Suga, what did you tell him,” Daichi doesn’t even try to make it sound like a question.

Suga shakes his head. “I didn’t tell him anything, I swear.” Daichi furrows his brow, not believing it.

By this point, Yaku’s sensed the one-sided tension in the room and has taken out an earbud. “Are they not telling you?”

Kuroo gasps. “Yaku, no, you traitor.”

Yaku throws him a smirk and looks back to Daichi. “They were just talking about your thighs.”

“My thighs?”

A flush overtakes Suga’s cheeks and Kuroo seems a bit embarrassed himself.

“Yeah, you know, how nice and muscular they are. I think there was something about licking sweat off of them, but I _was_ listening to music, so I can’t be sure.”

Daichi starts to blush himself and the three pointedly avoid making eye-contact. It reminds Daichi of the almost kiss earlier in the day and he starts to blush more. He was so close to finally making a move on Suga, before thinking that he didn’t want to take advantage of him during his vulnerable state. Besides, they have more to worry about at the moment than romance, and Daichi’s always prided himself on his impressive skills with prioritization.

“Well, um,” he starts, floundering a bit, “I’m flattered? I’m glad you like them. I use them to walk.”

This sends Kuroo into a fit of nervous giggles and Suga covers his face with his hands making a whining noise that’s partially muffled by his palms. Daichi shakes his heads at their antics. Honestly, the two of them could get into so much trouble if they were left alone. He already knew about Suga’s devious nature, and he got the feeling that Kuroo was pretty sly and cunning himsel--

\--Daichi gasps, pointing a finger at Kuroo.

“You lying bastard!”

Kuroo jolts. “What?”

“Kozume can _sense_ what marks do and are used for! He can find out their abilities just by using his own. You tricked me! You had access to what our team could do from the start!”

Kuroo stares at him for a few seconds then starts laughing. It’s not the nervous giggling from before, but laughter formed from hilarity, as if Daichi had made a joke. Which he _didn’t_. “Okay,” Kuroo begins as he swallows his laughter, “I will admit there was some manipulation on my part, but without Kenma, we wouldn’t have known anyway. Besides, Kenma is our brain, we simply give him enough time to think through strategies and then follow his orders. He’s a tactician. Besides, your team still got an accurate view of what it’s like to fight blind, and my guys didn’t know what you guys could do until Kenma finished sensing and gave them the information over their separate mental links. And I didn’t _lie_. It’s totally likely that the UOME has sensors that can give their agents information on your mark without you knowing, or SSF soldiers who can do exactly what Kenma can.”

Daichi stares at Kuroo’s “genuine” expression for a few seconds before throwing his hands in the air. “I _guess_.”

Kuroo smiles broadly at him. “Even if we didn’t have Kenma, we’d have still beaten you anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: loves Yaku  
> Yaku: is loved
> 
> Fortunately for me, Yaku will be far more present in the narrative since Karasuno and Nekoma have joined forces in the fight against E.V.I.L. 
> 
> Also, I apologize about hurting Noya but it has a purpose I promise. Like a said a few chapters ago, shit's starting to hit the fan. These kiddos will be facing a lot of pain and "bad things" as the story progresses. 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you guys think about this chapter and the story so far and what you guys think is going to happen! Feedback is adored and it encourages me to write and post things faster. 
> 
> Special thanks to my betas: Annie and Emma who are amazing. You can find them on tumblr at [(x)](http://baking-bisexual-bitch.tumblr.com/) and [(x)](http://animushrine.tumblr.com/) respectively.
> 
> Come scream at me on tumblr at [brokuroo](http://brokuroo.tumblr.com/)  
> And/or: follow the story on the rmmisiy tag
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	18. Teru-teru-bozu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuu gets his memories back, but at what cost?? also: Asahi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings for explicit torture and drugging
> 
> Title taken from the Japanese warabe uta “teru-teru-bozu.” A warabe uta is basically like a little nursery rhyme. It’s about a monk who promised farmers that he could clear the weather during a rainy season that was ruining the crops. He lied, and was then executed.  
> Keep the story in mind as you read! 
> 
> Betaed by the beautiful [Annie!](http://baking-bisexual-bitch.tumblr.com/)

“Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!” He screams as shattering pain blazes through the center of his eye once more. He can feel the fingers of psionic energy around his brain, trailing their way around his neck like a noose. The cell where he’s sitting is dark and a little damp. There’s a small hole in the corner that lets in a sliver of light. He can feel his mark’s patterns hot around his face, neck, and across his shoulders. His eyes are still healing, so all he can see is shadow.

There are footsteps heading towards his cell accompanied by the sound of dragging metal and the stench of chemicals. There’s a heavy thud followed by cursing. The glow from a flashlight makes its way indirectly to his cell. He squints trying to see through the one eye that is healing faster than the other. A loud clang echoes through the hallway, followed by the clinking of chains and the click of a lock. The footsteps recede. He stands up from where he is squatting and falls towards the bars enclosing him. He wishes he had his eyes back so that he could see into the cell across from his.

The hallway comes alive with the sounds of nails scrambling against concrete and cages. There are hushed whispers, muttering. Across from him, he hears the sound of the returned prisoner getting up from where he had been thrown. The returned prisoner is their leader, oppressive and absolute. He can almost see the dazed look in the eyes of their leader, amongst a stern and severe face and wide jawline.

“Tendou,” says their leader his voice monotonous and low. “How are your eyes?”

Tendou touches the rim of his left one and hisses at the spark of pain. “I can’t turn them off.”

A throaty chuckle. “I can see that. You’re glowing red.”

“Ushijima, what have they done to you? Your mind is in disarray.” Shirabu’s comment flows down the hall and through Tendou’s mind. _Funny, funny,_ Tendou shoots back along the mental link, _your mark of dissociation is coming in handy, I see._ Tendou feels a bit feverish from exhaustion, insomnia. He can’t sleep when his mark keeps him awake. _Can you fix it, or would your mark just make it worse? I wonder, I wonder._

A hint of worry flashes through Tendou’s mind. He doesn’t feel ashamed.

“I’m not sure what happened after training against the Beast,” Ushijima says. “But I believe we will have another mission soon. They want more soldiers.”

“Who are we going after, then?” Tendou asks. “Did you get a reading from them?”

“If I did, I don’t remember it exactly,” Ushijima says slowly. A cold breeze seems to seep into Tendou’s mind, the same energy from the psionic mark before, it caresses his mind before it fades away.

“There’s a list of them,” Shirabu says. “It’s all jumbled, but nothing my mark can’t handle.”

Tendou wants to roll his eyes at Shirabu’s prideful remark, but he can’t because he can’t fucking _use his own eyes_. Semi’s presence is like a spiked ball inside his brain. _What have they done to you, Satori?_

_They’ve taken my eye from me_ , he answers as best he can.

_Then we’ll take it back_ , Semi answers. The spikes seem to vibrate with excitement and Tendou can’t tell if it’s his own or Semi’s. _Fuck the mission. That fire mark’s going to suffer._

“Who’s first on the list?” Oohira asks from the cell next to Tendou.

There’s a pause as Shirabu parses through the information in Ushijima’s mind. “Oikawa Tooru.”

* * *

Yuu tries his best to pretend like he’s asleep when Chikara checks on him, but Chikara is no fool. Yuu partially opens an eye and sees his friend’s downturned mouth. Yuu sighs through his nose and sits up in bed, accepting Chikara’s hand to be helped up. The tug pulls at the broken skin under the bandage on his arm and he winces.

“Did you sleep at all?” Chikara asks him. Yuu hesitates, not wanting to worry his friend, before deciding that the Institution didn’t fuck him up enough to make him lie.

“Not really. I didn’t want another… episode to happen,” he says, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Chikara’s eyebrows furrow, but he nods.

“We need to find a way for you to sleep without being afraid,” his voice is soothing and low. It’s a relief to hear it after so long in isolation.

Yuu laughs. “If we found Asahi, I’d sleep like a lamb. It’s so fucking weird to watch the team work without him.”

“I don’t even know where Asahi is,” Chikara says quietly. “I don’t think anyone does.”

“Then we have to _find_ him!” Yuu exclaims, all of his instincts screaming to go out and search for Asahi. He _needs_ Asahi. He doesn’t know why he has such a burning desire for him. He doesn’t know where admiration stopped and this near obsession began. He just knows that he’s back now, and if he’s back, Asahi has to be back. It’s almost as if destiny has created a set of circumstances for them where they’re always near, yet apart; at odds, yet with a deep level of understanding for each other. “We’ll ask Daichi. We’ll ask Suga. Suga can track people, right?”

“I mean, maybe? It’s been half a year. I’m not sure how empathic tracking works. Or if Suga’s even good enough at it to find Asahi after all this time. Psionic residue is finicky with how long it sticks around.”

Yuu wants to rip out his hair. He needs to talk to Asahi about what happened; he has to reassure him that it’s not his fault. He knows the others, Suga, would have tried but that they couldn’t do it. He and Asahi have a connection. Yuu thought about it a lot during his imprisonment. _He_ is the only one who can assure Asahi that he’s still a good person; that he’s not evil, despite what others might make him think.

“I’m sure if we asked Suga, he’d help us out. He was good friends with Asahi, after all,” Chikara tries to reassure Yuu. Yuu nods, because Suga _will_ help them. It’s who Suga is.

“Where are the others?” Yuu asks looking around the room.

“They’re getting some breakfast,” Chikara tells him. “You slept through the night.”

Yuu feels a crushing wave of relief. He’d been afraid that he’d have another… attack. He holds a hand to his stomach, feeling something panging. It takes him a second to realize that he’s hungry. He doesn’t want to eat, which is a weird thought for him. It’s almost as if he’s forgotten how to feel hungry during his time in the Institution. Noya grabs a hold of himself as his emotions start to fall of the precipice of sanity and stability and into the abyss of fear. He doesn’t want the Institution to control him after he’s finally free. He wants to be his own person, not a product of whatever he went through. Allowing the UOME to influence him to the point that he doesn’t even want to eat is losing. Yuu isn’t one to lose.

“Let’s go get something to eat,” Yuu says, looping an arm around Chikara’s waist, “I’m starving.”

Chikara seems to be surprised at the easy way Yuu is touching him, which is to be expected with the pathetic way Yuu had acted the night before. Yuu is ashamed of himself for whining and frightening his friends. After a second’s hesitation, Chikara wraps an arm around his shoulders and guides him out of their room and into the kitchen where everyone is sitting. As they enter, the headds of the group swivel to stare at them. Yuu straightens his back and gives them a bright grin.

“Noya…” Suga says, his breath hitching. Yuu is confused for a second before he looks at his bare arm, at the bloody bandages. Yuu experiences the swift feeling of hiding himself, before he decides that’s not who he is. It’s never been who he is.

“Oh yeah, I should probably change these, right Chikara?” Yuu asks, holding his arm up for further examination. It looks worse than it feels. Chikara nods, but doesn’t say anything. There’s tension and worry in his eyes. Yuu looks away and pulls out a chair, plopping down across from the orange-haired freshman – _Shouyou_ , his memory supplies.

“You did really great last night, Shouyou,” Yuu says, watching the way the boy’s eyes light up with giddy glee at the compliment. “You lack some technique, but you make up for it with passion. You love your mark, don’t you? I can tell.”

“Yes, thank you, senpai!” Shouyou says, bouncing in his seat. The word ‘senpai’ hits Yuu like a slap to the face. He’s this kid’s _senpai_. He’s the senpai to all four of those freshmen. Yuu draws himself up even taller in his chair and ladles some eggs onto Shouyou’s plate.

“Eat, eat. It makes you stronger!”

“Okay!” Shouyou agrees and starts to shovel them into his mouth. Ryuu puts a hand on his shoulder, with a grin.

“Maybe you should follow your own advice.” Yuu looks down at himself, the way his skin is pulled gaunt over the bones in his hands. Ryuu’s right. He needs to eat. He puts food on his plate and starts to eat. As he chews, he feels as if he’s recovering a habit he hadn’t known he lost. His stomach feels queasy as the food settles in it, but he doesn’t stop eating. He can’t help himself. He hadn’t realized how hungry he really was until now.

“So, what’s the plan for today, Captain?” Nekoma’s captain asks, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

“I was thinking we could have a free day today. We need to go over rooming arrangements in greater detail now that we know you guys are staying with us indefinitely,” Daichi explains. He addresses the rest of the group next. “That means the rest of you guys can do whatever you want today. Kuroo, Suga, come with me. We need to talk about what’s going to happen next.”

Kuroo and Suga stand and follow Daichi from the room. Others begin filing out of the room as well as Yuu finishes his food. After a few seconds, it’s only him, two of the first years, Ryuu, and Chikara left in the dining room. The two first years are sharing looks, as if arguing mentally with one another over something. Yuu raises an eyebrow at them.

“What’re you two still doing here? You’re all antsy.”

Shouyou jumps, as if startled before he turns to Yuu with an open look. “Kageyama and I were wondering if you could tell us who Asahi is. We overheard some of the older people talking about him.”

Yuu is taken aback. He ignores the looks Ryuu and Chikara shoot him. He clears his throat. “Asahi is Karasuno’s strongest member.”

“Where is he?” Kageyama asks, before looking confused as Shouyou elbows him in the side with a warning look. “That was insensitive,” he says. Yuu makes a dismissive gesture.

“He left the unit about six months ago,” Yuu explains.

“Why?” Shouyou asks.

“He couldn’t handle it. He can’t handle violence because he’s not a violent person by nature. He didn’t like hurting people,” Yuu censures the story because he can’t give these kids the wrong impression of Asahi. He doesn’t want them to judge him when Asahi comes back. Asahi doesn’t need that. He doesn’t need others to look down on him when he does a good job of that by himself.

“Will he come back?” Shouyou asks.

“I don’t know,” Yuu says. “I don’t know where he is, or why he disappeared. I was in the Institution.”

“I’m not sure where he went, either,” Chikara says. “The whole thing was really mysterious. He stopped going to classes. Suga had stopped by his house to see if he needed to talk out what happened, but his mom said she didn’t know where he was.”

Yuu feels coldness trickle down his spine. He had thought Asahi was just being “homeschooled.” He didn’t think Asahi was _missing_.

“We have to find him,” Yuu says. Chikara’s face is pensive, worrying his lower lip.

“We don’t even know where to start.”

“Chikara, we literally have superpowers.”

“If _Suga_ can’t find him…” Ryuu starts. Yuu throws him a betrayed look. Ryuu sighs. “Look, I want to go with you, but Chikara’s right. We have no idea what happened to him.”

“Sounds like you’re giving up,” Yuu says, his tone bratty. Now that he knows Asahi didn’t leave of his own volition (he might’ve stopped battling, but he’d never go off the grid like that; he wouldn’t change himself in such a way that he’s unrecognizable to _Suga_ of all people), he has to find him. He doesn’t want Asahi to suffer.

“Um, Kenma may be able to help us out,” Shouyou pipes in. “His mark allows him to sense identify mark energy. He’d be able to find Asahi’s, if he happens to be using it.”

“He wouldn’t be,” Yuu says quickly. “He’s afraid of his mark.”

“It might be the only way he can survive,” Chikara’s voice is dark. Yuu turns towards him, to say something that will no doubt be a little mean, when Ryuu cuts in.

“Ennoshita, there’s no reason to jump to conclusions. In any case, Hinata’s got a good idea. Emotions may change, but marks don’t.”

Yuu’s hand travels to his collarbone where his mark is before he can help himself. He wonders of the detachment he feels from it is due to the trauma he suffered in the Institution. He pushes the thought that he can’t connect with a part of himself that’s so intrinsic to his existence away and nods his head to agree with Ryuu. For the most part, he thinks that the more people looking for Asahi the better, but there is a small voice in the back of his mind that sees himself as responsible for Asahi’s disappearance. That voice tells him: _It’s your fault he’s missing, so only you can bring him home._

“I’ll go get Kenma,” Shouyou says, standing up. He scurries out the door, leaving the three second years and Kageyama together. Kageyama is looking at Yuu with what he can tell is a multitude of questions. Yuu raises an eyebrow.

“Need advice from senpai?” he asks. Kageyama blinks a few times, seeming to come back to himself before he nods, looking shyly at Chikara and Ryuu.

“I know that what happened with Asahi isn’t as simple as you said. There’s more to the story than him being afraid of his mark.”

“Well, that’s definitely what the problem boils down to,” Yuu says. He sighs. “You’re right, there’s more to it than that. Asahi’s mark is technically classified as ‘synthetic volatility.’ It makes him go feral. Violent. Normally, Suga’s able to control him through their mental link and his empathy. Suga lost control of him during a really hard battle last year and Asahi turned and attacked him. Suga didn’t even get that hurt! I was able to protect the rest of us, but it lost us the match. I shut off his mark and Asahi swore never to fight again. I got mad, attacked him, and a bystander got in the way so I was sent to the Institution.”

Kageyama nods, once. “I have a hard time thinking he won’t fight anymore.” There’s a faraway look in the kid’s eyes when he says it.

“What’d you say your mark was?”

“Precognition,” Kageyama answers. “Though I think it’s becoming more than that as I grow older. Something happened to me yesterday. It was like I wasn’t in control of myself anymore. I couldn’t think. I had a vision.”

“A vision?” Chikara asks.

Kageyama nods, looking sheepish. “I think someone was trying to communicate with me. They knew my name.”

The door opens and Shouyou rushes in, a slower and more hesitant Kozume trailing behind. Kozume’s eyes dart around the room, and he seems to sink farther into himself. Yuu waves.

“Hey, Kozume. Thanks for coming to help us out.”

“Just call me Kenma.”

“Okay, thanks Kenma,” Yuu corrects himself.

“Kenma says that he’ll be able to sense the residue of Asahi’s mark, if you tell him what the mark is,” Shouyou informs them.

“Synthetic volatility,” Chikara says. “Though sometimes we just refer to it as _Berserker_.”

Kenma nods once, with slight hesitation. “Is there anywhere you think he would go?”

“Nowhere we haven’t checked,” Chikara informs Kenma. Kenma nods again, though there is a small crease between his brows. Yuu gives Kenma a large smile. “I’m sure you can do it! Your team wiped the floor with ours after all, so you’ve gotta be strong.”

Kenma shrugs, but doesn’t respond verbally. Yuu remembers observing that while Kenma wasn’t a physical combatant, his intelligence was clear in the plays he came up with for his unit. “Do any of you have something of his?”

Chikara and Yuu look at each other and shake their heads. Kenma lets out a small sigh. “We could walk by his mom’s house?” Chikara suggests. “He’s not there, but his energetic residue should still be.”

“That could work,” Kenma accedes. “If his mark hasn’t changed since the last time he lived at home.”

“It’s always been very stable,” Yuu explains. _Well, it doesn’t make **him** stable._ “We should head out. I want to find him as fast as we can.”

“Yuu, we might not find him today, you know that right?” Chikara asks, carefully placing a hand on Yuu’s shoulder. He is suddenly reminded of flinching from one of Chikara’s comforting touches the previous evening and feels ashamed. He knows Chikara would never hurt him, but something had… _happened_. In his brain. Not a memory, but close. A sensation, maybe, of something before that he can’t recall. It’s strange to him that he can’t remember, because Yuu is used to having a good memory. He also feels strange about his bone deep desperation to find Asahi. It’s a different feeling than missing someone you admire. Yuu feels a cloud of bitterness fog his brain at the idea that they won’t find Asahi today.

“Not with _that_ attitude,” Yuu snaps. Chikara squeezes Yuu’s shoulder once before he lets go.

“We’ll do our best, Yuu.”

“U-um,” Shouyou starts, his eyes bright. “Kageyama and I can come, too, right? We want to help find Asahi.”

Yuu grins brightly at them. “Of course! The more help the better. Who knows, maybe we have to save Asahi from bad guys.”

A strange look passes over Kageyama’s face for a second before it clears. Yuu is about to question it, before he realizes everyone is brushing it off as normal. He guesses Kageyama makes a lot of weird expressions for no reason, then.

“I’ll stay here and cover for you guys. Daichi won’t be happy that you’re running off,” Ryuu says. He’d been surprisingly quiet this entire time. Yuu notices his hand fisted beside him, clenching hard enough that his knuckles turn white. His face looks ashen. Yuu opens his mouth to ask Tanaka what’s wrong before he stops himself. He’ll ask him later, once they’ve found Asahi.

“Alright, team! Let’s get going,” Yuu calls and starts to usher the group out of the dorms and towards the school gate. Outside, he spots the tall, blonde freshman listening to music, leaning against a tree.

“Ah! Tsukishima!” Shouyou calls pointing. The blonde opens one eye at the sound of his name over the music. He makes eye contact with Shouyou before slumping farther down the side of the tree. His face is extremely disgruntled and becomes increasingly so as Shouyou hurries towards him. “Wow, what a weird way to look at you. How’s it feel to look at me, Tsukishima?”

“All I have to do is stand up,” Tsukishima reminds Shouyou in an exasperated tone. “What are you guys doing?”

As Shouyou’s mouth widens to speak Tsukshima groans. At the same time Tsukishima says a hurried, “Never mind,” Shouyou shouts: “Tsukishima! Come on an adventure with us!”

“No,” Tsukishima says, succinct. “Now, please leave me alone.”

“You know you _want_ to…” Shouyou whines. Tsukishima sneers at him.

“I’d rather kiss Tanaka than go with you and the king anywhere.”

“You want to kiss Tanaka-senpai?” Shouyou asks, tilting his head. Tsukishima rubs his eyes.

“No, idiot. I said I’d _rather_ do that than go with you somewhere. As in, it’s something no one wants to do. But going on an adventure with you is something I’d want to do less. Do you understand basic semantics now?”

Shouyou’s face is stormy, but Yuu jumps in to defend Ryuu’s honor. “Hey, tall bastard! The fuck you’ve gotta say about my boy Ryuu? He’s a fuckin’ catch, alright?”

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow at Yuu before pointedly turning his music up and closing his eyes.  Shouyou shrugs at Tsukishima before turning back to the group. “Guess he’s not going to come with us. We’re better off without him anyway,” Shouyou sticks his tongue out at Tsukishima’s prone form, before he starts to walk towards the school gates again. As the move closer, Kenma starts to look side to side, which confuses Yuu.

“What’re you lookin’ for?” he asks. Kenma startles, seeming to shrink a bit at his loud tone.

“Where are the guards?”

“Guards?” Yuu asks. Chikara steps in.

“Miyagi is more rural, so there’s less jurisdiction here about marked and unmarked protection. I guess they just assume since it’s less likely we’ll run into someone on the street, it’s less likely for there to be any murders.”

Kenma nods in understanding. “It must be nice to be able to go wherever you want.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Chikara laughs. “We have to inform local authorities if we travel outside of the prefecture so they can keep tabs on us. My parents always hated doing that.”

“It’s weird that the different prefectures have different ways of dealing with us,” Shouyou says, putting his hands behind his head as he walks. “I thought the UOME would treat us all the same.”

“The UOME is inherently bias,” Chikara says. “It won’t treat anyone the same. Not before the Mark War and definitely not after.”

Shouyou bites his lip. “I feel bad for the people in Tokyo.”

“I wouldn’t feel bad for long, it’ll probably happen to us next,” Kageyama says. He rubs the back of his neck, where Yuu can see the curves of his mark beneath the ends of his hair.

Shouyou squawks. “Kageyama! Don’t say that when you can see the future!”

Kageyama splutters. “I can’t see it all the time! Just in random visions! I just have the feeling that something bad is going to happen, but I don’t know what.”

“Well, that’s nice news to hear while we go off on an adventure to locate Asahi,” Chikara says drily. “You remember the way to his house, right, Yuu?”

“Of course!” Yuu says loudly. He’d been to Asahi’s house a few times to get help on homework, or to visit Asahi’s mother. Because of his anxiety, Asahi had been allowed to visit his home more often than the rest of the unit. In some ways, Yuu hated him for it. Yuu wanted to see his siblings and his parents, but he also understood that Asahi needed comfort, or he wouldn’t be able to control his mark. Well, whatever, it’s not like it mattered in the long run. He lost control and disappeared. “It’s just right over here! His mom always lived super close to the school.”

They turn the corner into a small residential area and Yuu takes the lead, heading off into the alley that was a shortcut to Asahi’s back door. As the get closer, Yuu watches with fascination as Kenma’s mark begins to pulsate on his skin. Yuu would say it was glowing, if the color black could do that. _It’s radiating energy_ , Yuu realizes. _I can see the energy being absorbed into his mark_. Yuu can’t help but stare. Kenma seems to shrink into himself, pulling his hands into his sleeves and crossing his arms at the intensity. Yuu moves closer.

“That’s really cool,” he says. Kenma startles at Yuu’s words. “Like, I can see what your mark is doing and it’s really, really cool.”

“Thanks,” Kenma says, looking away from him completely. Yuu draws back. He’s made Kenma uncomfortable enough he decides. In all honesty, Yuu is glad he can see the energy Kenma is pulling in. He hasn’t been able to feel his mark since leaving the Institution. _Maybe it’s a lack of use thing_ , he thinks, _because I wouldn’t have been able to use it there_. He feels a strong sense of fear wash over him at the thought that he was somehow _separated_ from his mark, for good. He shakes his head slightly. _No, no that’s not possible. That can’t happen_. He hopes it can’t happen. No one knows that amount of technology the UOME has amassed. Yuu wishes he could remember his time there. He could have so much information that would be important for the Peacemongers to finally defeat the SF once and for all.

Shouyou and Kageyama sit down on the sidewalk while they wait for Kenma to get the information he needs. Kenma’s mark flutters on his face before black droplets start to appear on his cheeks, as if the shape is melting down his face. Yuu puts his hand on his shoulder where his mark rests. It’s cold. It’s never cold, he’s always using it in some way. A cold hand grabs his heart and starts to pull it. He shudders slightly at the fear that his mark is broken.

_It’s not;_ he reminds himself, _it can’t be_.  

“I’ve got it, I think,” Kenma says quietly. “I’m ready.”

“Yes! Good job, Kenma!” Shouyou leaps up from where he’s seated and wraps an arm around Kenma’s waist.

“How far can you extended your sense barrier?” Chikara asks. Kenma shrugs. “I haven’t tried to reach my limits before.”

“You have to, though, for Asahi,” Yuu reminds him. “But that’s cool, what if you don’t even _have_ limits?”

“Everything had limits,” Kenma answers.

“Not the universe!” Yuu responds. Kenma gives him a look.

“I’m not the universe?”

“Whether Kenma’s the universe or not,” Chikara cuts in, “We do have to find Asahi before it gets dark. I don’t want to risk walking around at night. Just because the people here are more dispersed, doesn’t mean they’re any less violent.”

Shouyou blanches and Kageyama looks a bit sick. Yuu wants to feel pity for them, but he can’t. He’s only a year older and has suffered to the point where he can’t even remember what happened to him. Yuu’s sure he was tortured. The dreams, the fear, the amnesia –it makes sense. Chikara told him last night that he needed to be careful with himself as his memories come back. The younger ones have to learn quickly that this world isn’t as friendly as they’re raised to believe. They have to understand that the country is on the brink of another civil war ( _yes, another civil war is brewing, even if the nomarks don’t want to admit it_ , Ukai Sr. had told them at a meeting over a year ago, before shit went wrong and Yuu was locked away).

There’s a pensive and tense silence over the group as Kenma leads them away from Asahi’s home. Yuu feels like he should have said something to Asahi’s mom, but he doesn’t know what he’d say. _‘Sorry I scared away your son?’ ‘Sorry, he left you?’ ‘Sorry, your only child is marked and something bad was bound to happen to him?’_

Yuu hits his forehead. He doesn’t want to feel like this anymore –negative, thoughtful, fearful, deprecating. He hates it. He hates what’s been done to him.

“You alright, Yuu?” Chikara asks, hypervigilant as always. _He’ll be a good leader when Daichi leaves_ , Yuu thinks. _If Daichi’s allowed to leave when the UOME is done with everyone_.

“I’m _great_!” Yuu says with enthusiasm. Chikara doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t pursue the topic. He probably understands that Yuu can’t be the same anymore, not after what he’s gone through. Yuu wishes he _knew_ what he’d gone through. Maybe then he can recover.

As they continue to follow Kenma, with Kageyama and Hinata arguing to between themselves in the background over something pointless, Yuu can’t help but feel anxious. It’s like they’re getting nowhere, and Kenma keeps leading them further and further from the town, into the mountains. The trees covering its gradual slope continue to grow thicker and thicker the higher they climb.

“Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if Asahi was living somewhere near my house?” Shouyou pipes up. “I live right over the mountain!”

Yuu shakes his head. “That would be ironic.”

There’s the snap of a twig as Kenma falters in his steps.

“What happened?” Kageyama asks. Kenma shakes his head, confusion on his features.

“It’s nothing, it’s just… It’s nothing, don’t mind me. We should be close to him now.”

There are shadows over Kenma’s face as the sun starts to slip behind the trees. Yuu wonders for how many hours they’ve been walking now. It’s been the entire day, and he can’t even see the town below them. He can feel his body fatiguing, but mentally he’s restless. He’s ready to face Asahi, and ask him why he left. Tell him he misses him. Tell him he needs him, even.

“We should start heading back,” Chikara says, looking around uneasily. “I’m serious, I don’t feel safe out here.”

“Yeah,” Kageyama says, agreeing. Yuu ignores him.

“But Chikara, we’re so close, we have to keep going,” Yuu says. “When will we get this chance again?”

“I really don’t think--” Kageyama starts but is cut off.

Chikara rubs his forehead. “Yuu, you’re tired. And it’s not safe in the mountains. We’re a small group of teenagers.”

“Guys,” Kageyama’s voice is… shaky?           

“With _abilities_ ,” Yuu responds. “We’ll be fine. We just need to talk to Asahi and get everything out in the open. Then we’ll take him back with us and everything will be back to normal.”

“Yuu-!” Chikara cuts himself off as he runs into Kenma’s back. Yuu stops himself and sees that Kenma is pointing ahead of him. A twig cracks somewhere in the distance. Kenma shivers as his mark retreats to its normal sprawl across the bridge of his nose. A loud growl rises the hair on the nape of Yuu’s neck. He instinctively moves in front of Kenma, forcing him behind.

A twig cracks behind them, and Yuu spins around. His heart pounds in his chest and fear clogs his throat. His mark doesn’t activate.

Kageyama screams as Shouyou jumps in front of him, pushing him out of the way. Chikara throws out a hand. The beast flies into a nearby tree. It’s undeterred and bounces back towards them, slapping Chikara away before he can do anything about it. Shouyou slams into its body and Chikara once again throws the beast a distance away, holding it firmly against a tree. A ray of light from the dying sun breaks through the canopy of leaves. Yuu makes out human features. He wants to throw up.

Sweat builds on Chikara’s brow as he tries to hold Asahi still. Asahi’s wearing the loose, grey garments of the Institution. Yuu remembers being forced into them, of heavy hands holding him down as he’s stripped and redressed. Asahi’s mark has overcome his entire body, in deep purple slashes and angles. It’s moving and spinning as he thrashes in Chikara’s hold.

“Kenma, Kageyama, run,” Chikara commands. “Yuu, a little help here?!”

“I...” Flashes of memory hit Yuu as he continues to stare at Asahi

* * *

               _It’s dark in his cell. He’s chained to the wall. He’s cuffed and wrapped. He can’t move his arms. He can’t move anything. He starts to thrash. He slams himself into the wall, over and over again. Maybe if he knocks himself out they will let him go. He can’t be pinned here anymore he—_

_The needle goes into his neck. It’s a thick serum in his brain. The lights blind him. It’s too much. He…_

_He wakes up chained again, he doesn’t know how he got there. He doesn’t care to know. Shadows dance in the dark. How can shadows move when everything is the same color? But it’s not the same color, the shadow-people are darker. He wants to talk to them, but his mouth is full of cotton and he can’t remember how to speak—_

_“He’s strong.”_

_“Take it out.”_

_“Sample his skin.”_

_“This will revolutionize our agents’ protective gear.”_

_“He could die from this.”_

_“Then keep him alive. We need him.”_

_“Six months? How the fuck did they think that would be enough to harvest what we need from him?”_

_“Fuck his eyes are open.”_

_“Give him more of the serum.”_

_The needle the needle the needle the needle the needle the needle the needle the needle the needle the needle the needle---_

_He opens his eyes and he’s being wheeled somewhere he doesn’t know where; he’s strapped down and then –the sound of a door being opened somewhere beneath him –he’s unstrapped and quickly thrown from the table through a hole in the ground. He slams into concrete --_

_He opens his eyes. There’s some light but it’s not a lot. He wonders where he is, how long he’s been there. He can see blood-red-blood on his hands and elbows and it drips from his face onto the floor, glistening in the half-light. He doesn’t feel anything. Is that his blood? What has he done?_

_A body lies motionless on the floor across from him –_

_“He’s ready.”_

_“No he’s not.”_

_“Maybe we can erase the records and keep him here. The others could use someone with his skills.”_

_“The higher ups would have said if they wanted him to work with the SSF.”_

_“We could make an appeal?”_

_“Too much work.”_

* * *

_“But seriously, how strong can this kid be? This is the fifth fight in two days and he’s won them all.”_

_“If we can harness his fear… the way he instinctually unleashes his mark…”_

_“Yeah, let’s make a fear serum next. Great plan. As if we don’t already have trouble controlling this one.”_

_“Let’s test him against the Beast.”_

_“Will he die?”_

_“I bet 500 he doesn’t.”_

_“The fuck man, as if we have that kinda money?”_

_\--_

_Click._

_Click._

_Click._

_Click._

_Lights flash in his eyes._

_The needle goes in his neck._

_\--_

_His door opens and he struggles against his restraints. The young man’s smile is kind. “Hello, Yuu. My name is Yuuji, I’m here to take you to your next test. Are you ready?”_

_Yuu opens and closes his mouth but he can’t remember how to speak._

_“Hurt?” he asks. He tries to hide his neck in between his shoulders but he can’t._

_“Yes, but not the hurt that you’re thinking of,” Yuuji responds. He grabs Yuu by a chain and drags him from the room. Armed men stand outside and they grab him. Yuu screams and screams and screams until his throat is even rawer than it was before. Yuuji writes something on his clipboard –scritchscratch scratchscritch –and then Yuu is being taken before a large door. There’s a domed roof before him. Yuuji unlocks the door and Yuu’s restraints are taken away, but before he can think of a way to react he’s thrown in and the door slams behind him._

_“Release the Beast,” Yuuji’s voice is cold from behind the door._

_\--_

_The sky, Yuu thinks as the beast pins him down and punches his face. The dawn sky. Pink and orange and the small sun says hello to the moon before the moon sleeps again. The dawn sky, the dawn sky the dawn sky_

_\--_

“Yuu!” Chikara screeches and Yuu is ripped from his memories back to reality. Asahi grabs him and throws him to the ground. Yuu’s face hurts. _I’ve been punched_ , he realizes. A flash of burning heat sears its way from the mark on his shoulder through his chest. Asahi yells and backs away as his fist hits the barrier. From behind the thick threads of energy woven around Asahi, Yuu surveys the group. Chikara’s going to have a shiner. Shouyou has deposited Kenma and Kageyama in a nearby tree for protection. Shouyou is hovering slightly above the ground, holding his side. He’s in pain. Asahi throws himself repeatedly at the barrier.

“Sorry,” Yuu apologizes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I know,” Chikara says quietly. His eyes are glued to Asahi. Chikara doesn’t show much emotion, but his face is open. There’s pain there that doesn’t have to do with the hits he received while Yuu was out of commission.

“Wow! That’s so cool, Noya! You just locked him up –just like that!” Shouyou crows before he winces as he pulls something in his side.

“It’s good to have you back,” Chikara greets him. Yuu nods. He wishes he could grin and deliver a line, but he can’t. Not with Asahi being like this.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Shouyou asks.

“We need to leave,” Kageyama says from the tree. “We have to leave _now_.”

“Why?” Shouyou asks. Kageyama shakes his head.

“No time to explain. Get me down from this tree!”

Yuu stares at Asahi. He feels like he _knows_ what to do –he follows the instinct from battles fought that he’s only just beginning to remember –and he watches as energy flows into Asahi, shoving Asahi’s mark back into his relaxed state. Asahi falls to the ground, unconscious. Chikara motions for Kageyama to follow him.

“We need to carry him back,” Chikara says. Kageyama nods, grabbing his feet while Chikara grabbed him under the arms. There are noises from farther up that Yuu can’t make out, but he can tell that it’s bad. There’s a lot of energy moving towards them. It’s agitated, aggressive. Yuu sets up a barrier between them and the other marked people. _The SSF_ , his mind supplies, _you met them, before._ Yuu doesn’t have time to dwell on it.

He makes sure he stays in the back behind a lagging Shouyou and anxious Kenma. They move slowly but Yuu knows he will keep them safe. He can use his mark now that his mind is free.

The energy moves closer and Yuu reshapes the barrier, making it spikey. _Have fun with that_ , he thinks at them. There’s a screech and a loud curse as their pursuers’ progress is halted.

“What was that?” Shouyou asks, his voice panicked. Yuu shakes his head.

“Don’t worry about it, just keep going,” Yuu tells him, trying to keep his voice calm.

Shouyou halts in his steps and bends down, wheezing. He shakes his head. Kenma grabs his hands and helps him back up. Shouyou leans on him, favoring his injured side. Kageyama drops Asahi’s ankles. They stop to regroup. The SSF hit the barrier once more. Yuu struggles to keep it up.

**_Where are you, my birdy?_** A voice echoes in his head. There’s a satisfied smirk in it as it goes, chillingly, **_Ah, found you_**.

“What was that?” Shouyou asks again, his voice reedy.

**_You stole our monster. That wasn’t very nice of you. I hope you don’t mind if we take him back_**.

Shivers wrack Yuu’s spine at the memory of pain in association with that voice.

**_Sing a song with me. It’ll make the pain hurt less when we catch you._ **

**_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_ **

**_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_ **

**_Like the sky in a dream sometime_ **

**_If it’s sunny I’ll give you a golden bell_ **

**_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_ **

**_Come on, sing, you should know the lyrics by now. Ah, what’s that? You don’t want to sing. How sad. You have such a beautiful voice when you’re in pain. I remember it very well. Won’t you sing to me?_ **

“Stop,” Yuu mutters to himself. Chikara throws a worried look over his shoulder.

                **_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_**

**_If you make my wish come true_ **

**_We’ll drink lots of sweet sake_ **

**_I’m close to you now. If you sing I can hear it in person. Don’t let the barrier waver or you’ll end up like the lying monk. You don’t want that, do you? You committed a crime when you stole our monster._ **

                “Asahi isn’t a possession,” Yuu grinds out. Different voices of laughter ring out in his head and he stumbles, overcome. He can feel phantom pain all over his body. He’s hungry again.

                “Yuu, just hold out a bit more. I don’t know what that voice is telling you, but we’re almost to the bottom of the mountain,” Chikara tells him, his voice calm and steady. Calm and steady.

                **_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_**

**_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_ **

**_But if it’s cloudy and I find you crying_ **

**_Then._ **

**_I._ **

**_Shall._ **

**_Snip._ **

**_Your._ **

**_Head._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_Off._ **

Yuu screams. The barrier breaks.

Nothing happens.

He looks up, they’re standing under a street light. He looks at the trees behind him and hears the SSF retreating. They don’t want to be seen. That’s good, it means they have a weakness.

**_I will hear you sing again, my birdy._ **

* * *

“You missed them,” the slap comes quickly, but not unexpectedly. Yuuji is glaring at him, but Semi can’t bring himself to care. “How could you miss them?”

“You know how strong he is. We can’t physically break his barriers,” Satori says from where he’s restrained, waiting for his punishment to begin. They’re all chained up. Yuuji gives them both a look.

“But Semi was able to make him lower them,” Ushijima’s voice rumbles from the table he’s strapped to. He seems calm. Resigned. Semi wishes they didn’t have to live this way, but he can’t help the pleasure at the pride in his voice. _See Shirabu, I won’t lose to you_ , Semi thinks. He can feel the force of Shirabu’s disdain. It makes him smile.

Yuuji hums. “Semi did work closely with Nishinoya’s conditioning… It’s interesting to see the effects of the brainwashing and release, how we still have power over them. This is something the higher ups will want to know.”

“Hey, Yuuji,” Satori speaks up, “do you miss being one of us?”

Yuuji pauses in his steps. “I miss the power and the violence, if nothing else.”

Satori scoffs. “You don’t need your mark to be violent, you fucker. That’s why they took it away from you.”

Yuuji chuckles and clacks the ball in his tongue against his front teeth. “Satori, are you trying to make me angry? Because it’s working.”

“Nope, nada, not at all,” Satori answers quickly.

“That’s what I thought.”

There’s the sound of footsteps and the slam of a door.

Satori starts laughing. “That fucker’s going to make us sweat it out before he sends in the punishers, isn’t he? What a motherfucker. What a sadistic motherfucker. I love him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Crawls out from under my troll bridge 3 months late with nothing but pain*
> 
> I promise to finish this story, I swear. It’s just been a long few months filled with pain, moving, and missing my cats. College is rough, but I’m doing fine now. I’m going to try and finish the story within the next year, so look forward to that I guess! I swear the next chapter will be out as soon as it’s ready! It’s actually already half written so… hopefully it’ll be out really soon! It’ll be (mostly) a break from the pain and suspense as we go and hang out with some other peeps ;) 
> 
> Tell me your thoughts!! I’m super interested to hear what you guys are thinking so far, about what’s going to happen next… what this means… any type of critique… I want to hear everything! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and being patient with me! 
> 
> Until next time!


	19. the horns of an angry bull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow how long’s it been since I last updated? Can’t be that long-  
> I’m sorry. Life’s been really crazy for me. I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal and financial drama, so I have barely been able to write anything. I sincerely apologize for how long this has taken me to write, I just lost my muse for a while there in the grand scheme of things.   
> BUT IT’S BACK.   
> AND HERE’S THE NEW CHAPTER PLEASE ENJOY
> 
> _She struck where the white and fleecy waves_  
>  Looked soft as carded wool,  
> But the cruel rocks, they gored her side  
> ~Like the horns of an angry bull~  
> ("The Wreck of the Hesperus" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

The door to their commons open and Daichi spins around, having thoroughly chastised Tanaka for covering for the rest of them, ready to release another round of reprimands when the words die on his lips. His eyes travel from Chikara’s eye, swollen and black, to Noya’s bloodied face, to the fear in Kenma and Kageyama’s eyes, to the way Shouyou is favoring his left leg. His gaze hands on the tied up, purple and writhing body in Chikara and Kageyama’s arms.

“Asahi,” Suga breathes, his chin trembles before he stumbles off the couch and forward to the group. Daichi stands as well, his hands opening and closing in front of him, unsure of what to do.

“What…?” Daichi asks, trailing off.

“Asahi, he…” Noya’s voice catches in his throat. “He was taken by the Institution. I remember what happened now. They took him and used him to train us to be stronger. They were… harvesting our marks and energy to make weapons.”

“Those fuckers,” Kuroo growls from where he’d been watching the situation unfold in front of him. He comes forward. “It looks as if this guy’s mark is still active, even with the suppression barrier.”

“I can’t figure out how to make him be normal again,” Noya’s voice is uncharacteristically small. Daichi stares at Asahi, still uncomprehending of what is happening. Asahi was just taken from his home, imprisoned and abused, and no one even knew about it. He hadn’t known about it, just thought Asahi was being his cowardly self.

Suga puts a hand on Noya’s shoulder and brings him in for a hug. He rubs Noya’s back. “I’ll see what I can do, and if I can’t do anything, we’ll see if our friends from Nekoma can help us out,” he fixes his gaze on Kuroo whose pensiveness and seriousness almost mars his devilish good looks. Daichi wishes he knew what Kuroo was thinking.

“Of course, we’ll help you,” Kuroo says. Anger overtakes his eyes as he sweeps them over the room, before fixing on Asahi. “What they’re doing is completely unacceptable. We have to stop them before they ruin any more marked youth.”

“He’s not ruined, he’s not _broken_ ,” Noya bites out, pulling away from Suga and staring Kuroo down. Kuroo immediately backs off, raising his hands.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kuroo explains. “I’m only saying… we don’t know what’s going to happen to him What the UOME has done and will continue to do is _wrong_. What they’ve done to you, to your friend, to countless other youth… it makes me sick. We have to stop them.”

Daichi frowns, his mind connecting the dots of things Kuroo has said throughout his short time with Karasuno to a larger, more problematic picture of society. “That sounds dangerously close to Peacemonger rhetoric.”

Kuroo turns to Daichi. “So, what if it does? Would you rather these kids have to live in fear for the rest of their lives? Would you rather every single marked person live in fear of decimation? The Peacemongers don’t want that for us, they want to liberate us and protect us. It’s the unmarked media that paints them in a bad light.”

“It’s _illegal_ to be a Peacemonger, Kuroo. Aligning myself with an organization and getting arrested…” Daichi trails off. He couldn’t survive jail, who knows what would happen to him in jail.

“Daichi,” Suga starts. “He’s not wrong, Daichi. Look what they’ve done to Asahi. Look what they continue to do to Noya,” he gestures to Noya’s haggard appearance. Daichi remembers the bloody bandages on his harm, most likely from some kind of self-harm. Daichi winces at the slow rush of hatred making its way through his body. He knows that Kuroo’s right, that there’s something wrong in a world where this kind of behavior is not only accepted, but encouraged by the mass public. But he’s afraid. “I know you don’t like to break the rules,” Suga continues. “But is it so wrong to rip apart legislation that destroys the people it’s supposed to protect?”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Hinata pips in nervously, looking between the three eldest in the room. “Captain, are we… joining the P-Peacemongers?”

Kageyama has his face in his hands, but he looks up to hear Daichi’s answer. Ennoshita’s knuckles are white from where they’re fisted on his sides. Daichi looks back at Kuroo, whose expression has become unreadable. To Tanaka who’s been quiet the entire time, unable to look away from Asahi’s prone, broken form. To Suga who’s holding Noya close to him. To Noya’s face, normally carefree and energetic, but is now tired and angry. To Hinata whose fear is palpable in the air around him. To Kageyama who doesn’t seem to want to know his answer. To Kenma who has come to stand by Kuroo’s side. His looks back at Asahi, the guy he’d always playfully bullied and teased about his cowardice, who’s life has been ruined by an unjust system.

“We don’t have another choice,” he says, his voice quiet. “I can’t sit by and idly watch as my team and my family are torn apart.”

Kuroo walks over and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We stand by you. But you understand you can’t go back once you’ve committed to them, right?”

“I understand,” Daichi responds seriously. He looks around at the rest of the room. Suga nods.

“I’m in, too.”

“Same here,” Hinata chirps.

“It’s a big decision to make, Hinata,” Daichi says, not wanting a kid who’s barely fifteen to make a choice that could alter the state of his life forever.

Hinata bites his bottom lip but stares Daichi in the eyes with an intensity that frankly scares him. “Those things we saw up on the mountain, the things I’ve felt as we were chased down. I don’t know Asahi, and I know I’m just a first year, but I want to help stop this. I’m all in, just like you are, Captain,” Hinata looks over at his roommate. “Kageyama…?”

Kageyama looks slightly ashen. He bows his head, seeming to steel his resolve before nodding once. Kuroo shakes his head.

“You gotta say it, kid.”

“Don’t pressure him, Kuroo,” Daichi reprimands.

“This is serious, Sawamura. He’s gotta commit. He can’t back out.”

“I’ll do it,” Kageyama says, though his voice is shaky. Daichi suddenly has a sense of apprehension when remembering what he’s heard of Kageyama’s previous visions. What if Kageyama is seeing something that makes him hesitate?

Kuroo nods. “Good. And the rest of you?”

Tanaka steps forward. “We’re already members of the Miyagi branch,” he says, gesturing at himself, Ennoshita, and Noya.

“All of the second years are,” Ennoshita adds. “We went to them when we were lost last year. They helped us become stronger and better.”

Daichi blinks, astounded that he hadn’t even noticed the second years sneaking out to go to meetings, but he also realizes he’s been preoccupied by subtly wooing Suga. “I’m sorry for not being there to help you.”

“Why the long face, Captain?” Tanaka asks with a laugh. “We didn’t want you to know. My family’s always been a part of the Peacemongers.”

“And all of Nekoma is allied with them,” Kuroo informs them. “We came here to not only escape what’s happening in Tokyo, but to also seek solace with the Miyagi branch. Ukai is the leader, that’s why his grandson invited us here.”

“I had no idea,” Daichi says.

“That’s good because you weren’t supposed to,” Kenma says. “Our organization can only live in secrecy.”

“What do we do now?” Kageyama asks, looking at his seniors. Kuroo crosses his arms and shifts his weight to his other hip.

“We need to arrange an initiation meeting with this branch, though, I’m guessing with what’s been going on, we can’t have it at the usual place.”

“We could have it here,” Ennoshita suggests. “Most of this unit is a part of it now.”

“What about Tsukishima and Yamaguchi?” Hinata asks. “They don’t know what’s going on.”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Daichi sighs. “Maybe Suga or I could talk to them. See if we could convince them to join as well. Tsukishima’s a smart, rebellious kid and Yamaguchi will follow him anywhere.”

“So, if you convinced Tsukishima, Yamaguchi’s guaranteed?” Kuroo asks to confirm. Daichi nods. That’s how he’s witnessed their dynamic so far. Yamaguchi has a fascination for Tsukishima, though Daichi’s unsure whether or not it’s reciprocated or if Tsukishima just likes having someone around who does whatever he says and worships the ground he walks on. Maybe he’s being too harsh on the kid. He’s only fifteen after all.

Suga looks at the two captains. “I’ll talk to them. Though, maybe seeing the state of Asahi will scare them into joining us.”

“And we didn’t even tell you guys the scariest part,” Hinata says, “And now we’re all joining.”

“The scariest part?” Tanaka asks, furrowing his eyebrows. Hinata nods.

“After we were attacked by Asahi, we were chased by something.”

“I think it was the SSF,” Ennoshita says. “They had marks. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them.” Noya shudders in Suga’s arms before stepping away.

“It was the SSF. I remember what happened to me in the Institution, or at least, I remember more than I did. They capture students and young mark users and repurpose them to suit their needs. Experimentation, battle, _anything_ they need, they use the kids for it. They used Asahi to train their soldiers against. They used me to experiment on and I’m sure once they got what they needed out of my body, they would’ve made me a part of the SSF.”

Daichi’s fingernails dig into his palms with how fisted his hands are. He’s shaking and he meets Suga’s eyes, seeing the anger burning deep in the brown of his irises.

“They used to make me fight against Asahi, to study my mark. They kept his mark awoken and would agitate him into attacking me.”

“Fucking hell,” Kuroo curses, staring intensely at Asahi’s stilled, marked, and scarred body.

Just then, the door to the common area opens. The group turns to look at it, seeing their two first years walk in, followed by Yaku and Ukai. The four stop and stare at the scene before them, gazing confusedly at Asahi’s form on the ground.

“What’s going on?” Ukai asks, the first one to break the silence and step forward, assuming the position of leadership. “Nishinoya, what happened to your face?” he looks at each teenager who had travelled up the mountain to rescue Asahi. “What happened to _all_ of you?”

Noya straightens his shoulders and looks Ukai in the eyes as he recounts the story, sparing no detail, including all that he remembered from the Institution, and what he heard when they were chased down the mountain. The chilling song Semi Eita used to sing to him to distract him when they were battling. The song he sang before they would torture him.

Daichi gulps down the feeling of disgust welling up within him from Noya’s story. He can see the anger in Ukai’s face, unhidden, and the fear in the others’.

Noya finishes his story with: “And now everyone’s agreed to join the Peacemongers to find justice and destroy the UOME.”

“ _Noya,_ ” Daichi admonishes, afraid of what Ukai would have to say about that. However, Ukai just nods.

“It was bound to happen sometime,” Ukai says, “With all the recruitment we’ve been doing.” He looks at the group. “I haven’t been quite honest with you guys. I am second in command of this district’s Peacemonger branch. I knew that everyone in Nekoma was a member, which is why I agreed to let them come here and stay. If you guys are all on board, we can move the PM meetings to our unit’s chambers, now that my shop has been compromised.”

Daichi shakes his head. _To think, all this time, there were so many of them. Of us. It’s an ‘us’ now._

“My brother was a member of this branch,” Tsukishima says quietly. “But he was captured by the UOME.” He fixes his gaze on Ukai. “What do you have to say about that?”

“What happened to Akiteru was terrible,” Ukai says, but he doesn’t look necessarily repentant. “He knew what he was getting into when he stopped following our plan.”

“He was _saving_ someone,” Tsukishima’s anger seems to manifest as ice, with a quiet cold voice and his frosty stare. “He broke formation to save someone.”

“And that action caused him to be caught and sent away,” Ukai crosses his arms. “I don’t mean to sound cold, but we choose our battles. He chose wrong.”

Tsukishima’s mouth curls into a snarl but he doesn’t say anything. Yamaguchi bites his lip before stepping forward and placing a hand on Tsukishima’s back. He relaxes into the touch, just slightly.

“You keep looking at him,” Kuroo says, addressing Tsukishima. Tsukishima turns to glower at him. “Are you worried that’s what happened to your brother.”

“Kuroo,” Yaku says in a warning tone. He turns to Tsukishima. “I’m sorry to hear about what happened, but our organization is utilitarian. We fight for a greater cause than a single person.”

“We can’t guarantee the safety of our members, because we don’t control our members’ free will. They can still choose,” Ukai says. He addresses this to the entire group. “But we can give you a net to fall back on when you have problems. If you need to leave your home, if you need help with something, you have the loyalty of hundreds of other members.”

“Are you trying to convince me and Yamaguchi to join?” Tsukishima asks.

“Tsukishima, this can’t happen to anyone else,” Ennoshita tells him, pointing to Asahi.

“For all we know, your brother could be alive and we could free him!” Hinata chirps. Tsukishima rounds on him.

“Don’t say that. Don’t try to make me hope for that. For all I know, he’s dead and it’s easier thinking that than to be in denial of the inevitable.”

“You could avenge him,” Kageyama interjects. Tsukishima scoffs.

“Sorry, princess, but that’s not my character arc.”

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi says. “Maybe we should join. To help people.”

“Do you want to join, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima asks him. Yamaguchi gnaws on his lip before he nods.

“I do. It’s cool, Tsukki, to be a part of something that could change the world.”

“Well, I can’t be outdone by you,” Tsukishima sighs. “We’re in.”

Ukai smiles. “Great! I’ll arrange for the group to come by tonight for training and initiation. But before that, I need to pay a visit to a certain someone.”

* * *

Hajime is sitting at his desk doing his homework while Oikawa chatters and multitasks when the masked Peacemonger steps out from a cloud of smoke.

“Ah!” screeches Oikawa, throwing his textbook at the man who dodges it.

“Oh, I thought you’d be alone, Iwaizumi,” Ukai says. Hajime narrows his eyes. He hadn’t contacted the PM since the meeting where he’d been offered a spot and he hadn’t seriously planned to. Oikawa was recovering and Hajime wasn’t stupid enough to join an organization because he was panicked about his more than capable best friend’s health and safety. It was an unlucky situation for Oikawa, it was no one’s fault. Ukai clicks his tongue from behind his mask before shrugging.

“Look here, Mr. Skunk,” Oikawa stands up and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Hajime goes to stand next to him, allowing Oikawa a place to lean if he needs it. “You can’t be here. We have no plan to take part in your nefarious purposes!”

“While it’s nice you have a strong sense of morality,” Ukai says and Hajime can hear the eye-roll in the tone of his voice, “I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice anymore.”

Hajime frowns. “What do you mean?”

Ukai hooks his thumbs into his belt. “The world is becoming increasingly dangerous for us at an alarming rate. I’m sure you’ve heard about the military rule in Tokyo.”

“Well, if it’s for the safety of all people,” Oikawa starts.

“The Secret Suppression Forces have been attacking students who break curfew,” Ukai continues. Hajime bites his tongue. “And with Miyagi being the second hottest prefecture in regards to mark population, do you honestly believe we won’t be next? It’ll come time soon to pick your loyalties. Would you rather be made into a soldier to oppress your own people, or fight on the side of justice?”

“The SSF doesn’t even exist!” Oikawa says gesturing with a hand. “It’s a myth.”

“It’s real,” Ukai says. “We have proof. One of ours, a kid about your age, was taken by them and tortured. We were finally able to rescue him from the Institution, but,” Ukai rubs the back of his neck through the suit he’s wearing, “he’s not doing very well. For all we know, the kid on your team could be the next one taken to trial if your keeper reported him like he was supposed to.”

“Kunimi didn’t do anything wrong,” Hajime says. “He’s a kid who lost control.”

“I agree with you,” Ukai tells them. “But our opinions don’t matter. If the UOME says he’s dangerous, he’s dangerous. They sent a fifteen-year-old with a _barrier_ _mark_ to the Institution. Do you honestly think he’s safe? That _any_ of you are safe?”

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa’s quiet. “Didn’t… Ushiwaka get sent to the Institution after Nationals last year?”

Hajime nods. “I heard his entire unit was. Something about cheating or being a danger to themselves and others?”

Ukai watches the exchange before continuing. “Kids who are sent to the Institution are repurposed to suit the needs of the UOME.”

Hajime feels fear slide down his bones at the thought of what that even _means_. He’s always wavered more to the revolutionary side of the spectrum in his views, but he’s someone who prioritizes the safety of himself and Oikawa over the oppression of his people.

Maybe that’s a mistake.

He looks up and to the side, meeting Oikawa’s eyes. There’s a fear and anger in them. Oikawa may have hated Ushiwaka and wanted to see him destroyed, but in Oikawa’s mind it’s _his_ job to ruin him, no one else’s. Ukai holds out a card to them.

“This has the information regarding where to meet for tonight’s Peacemonger meeting. If you’re interested in learning more, and maybe protecting those kids of yours,” Oikawa takes the card and looks at it. Ukai clears his throat. “And remember, Iwaizumi, we have a record of you attending our meetings, so don’t even _think_ about turning us in to the UOME.”

Hajime scowls. “You’re threatening us now? How’s that supposed to buy any loyalty?”

“It’s insurance. I can see the way your roommate and companion is eyeing that card,” Ukai puts a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder. “Come tonight. Decide for yourself what you want to do once you have all the information.”

There’s the acrid scent of burning and Ukai disappears into a wisp of smoke.

“What do we do, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asks, staring down at the card, the only thing on it is an address.

“We go,” Hajime says. “At least, that’s what _I_ need to do.”

“You kept this from me?” he asks, his voice quiet for once. “You kept being scouted by the Peacemongers, going to a meeting, from me?”

Hajime sighs. “They approached me when I was waiting for you to get out of surgery. They said by joining them, I could unlock power that would be able to protect you. I was upset and scared. I wanted to know more, but I haven’t contacted them since or gone to anymore meetings. I swear to God, Oikawa. I wasn’t going to.”

“Aw, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa lilts but Hajime knows he’s doing it to hide his hurt and disappointment. “You were going to join the Peacemongers so you could protect me? How sweet~. My hero~.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was doing it for the right reasons,” Hajime says.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa says. “I’m just a little upset about it. But we can go tonight and see what’s going on? Maybe tell Mattsun and Makki?”

“We shouldn’t bring anyone else into this until we know what’s going on,” Hajime suggests.

“You’re right,” Oikawa sighs. He looks down on the card. “So, we’re going?”

“Yeah, we’re going,” Hajime says, wondering how his life had gotten so out of control so fast. He’d never though the choices he’d make as a teenager could alter his entire future before he could even blink.

* * *

Shouyou watches intently as swirls of energy from the nether materialize around Daichi before rotating into the object in his hands. The Easy Button from is both innocuous and strange to see in an ally, resting atop a dumpster at the same time.

“Look carefully Hinata,” Daichi says. “By materializing and guiding energy from the nether through your body and mark, you can enchant an item to obtain the same ability. Suffice to say, when the guys Ukai was talking to press this, it will teleport them to our location.”

“What about if I did it?” Shouyou asks, genuinely curious. He knows mark affects gravity, but he’s unsure whether it would make someone really heavy or light enough to fly. Daichi shrugs.

“I think it depends on the purpose of the transfusion. Like if you wanted to let someone fly, or if you wanted to weigh someone down, it would depend on how you thought about the energy you were using and the purpose you give it. When infusing this,” he holds up the button, “I was thinking of teleporting from the alley to the school.”

“What if someone gets there before them and gets sent here instead?”

“Coach Ukai will be there with it, waiting for them,” Daichi tosses the button up in the air before catching it and setting it down. Shouyou shifts from foot to foot, thinking about what he’s promised in the morning and what they did on the mountain. Daichi pats him on the shoulder, sensing his unease. “You’ve been good, Hinata. And this decision, don’t let it weigh you down, alright?”

“Okay,” Shouyou says. “Um, I’m going to go find Kageyama.”

“Alright,” Daichi says, sitting down on the couch and digging the remote out from a crevice. Shouyou leaves the room and walks down the hall to his shared room with Kageyama. When he walks inside Kageyama is sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding his head, his fingers pressed against his temples. He doesn’t even look up when Shouyou comes in. Shouyou sits down on his own bed and lays back on his pillows.

“What’s wrong with you?” Kageyama asks, his head still in his hands.

“I’m just nervous about tonight,” Shouyou says honestly. He knows that Kageyama feels the same way, judging from the look on his face. He wonders how he got so good at understanding him. “I never thought I’d be joining them.”

“I think it’s a bad idea,” Kageyama intones. “I just have this feeling that bad things are going to happen.”

“Then why did you agree? You can see the future!” Shouyou accuses, sitting up and staring at his roommate.

“Well! Everyone else was agreeing, and besides,” Kageyama looks to the side. “I think bad things are going to happen regardless of the side we choose.”

“Did you have another vision?” Shouyou asks, gesturing to his posture. Kageyama hesitates before shaking his head.

“No, not really. Sometimes I see little snippets of things, but I haven’t had a vision since…” He gestures vaguely. Shouyou knows the instant he’s referring to, when his mind was invaded by one of those Secret Suppression guys. It had been really scary, watching his collapse and writhe like that. It had been scary trying to deal with him afterward. Everything had been scary since coming to high school.

“And we all died in that one,” Shouyou mutters, not feeling very good about his choices or his life in general. He usually tries to stay positive, to keep on fighting, but so much has happened so quickly -Tokyo, Noya, Asahi -that he’s not sure how to act normal when everything seems to be falling apart around him.

“Death doesn’t always mean death,” Kageyama says.

Shouyou rolls his eyes. “Stop being so cryptic! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“What I mean is that sometimes death can represent something else in a vision,” Kageyama says. “Like rebirth or losing a relationship.”

“I’m pretty sure rebirth entails death,” Shouyou mutters. Kageyama shakes his head.

“No, like the rebirth of your personality or something. Getting better or growing up, changing.”

“I hope that’s what it means,” Shouyou says, finding a certain sense of hope in that. Maybe it represented all of them joining the Peacemongers and ending up changing their world view, or something like that. He guesses it would depend on whether or not Kageyama gets another vision where they all die.

“It is,” Kageyama says firmly. “Is Captain done with that button thing?”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to see who Coach is trying to bring here. They must be really strong.”

Kageyama grins, and Shouyou finds it creepy. “If they’re strong, I want to battle them.”

“Me too!” Shouyou crows. “Though I gotta say, when you grin like that it looks like you’re plotting something evil.”

The grin falls off his face and becomes a scowl. “What the hell is your problem?”

Shouyou nods at his face. “That’s better!”

“I hate you, shrimp legs,” Kageyama retorts.

Shouyou gasps. “Rude!”

The door opens and Inuoka sticks his head in. “You guys ready for the initiation ceremony?”

“Ceremony? Is it a big deal?” Shouyou asks, turning to him. The Nekoma member shakes his head.

“It sounds fancy but they just give you your blank mask that will form into the shape of whatever animal matches your mark the best.”

_A yes_ , Shouyou thinks, _the masks that the Peacemongers wear to hide their identity. Which I am now in need of. Because I am no one of them._ He feels a spike of anxiety before he tries to comfort himself. _It’ll be okay, Shouyou, what’s more teenager-y than joining a rebellious organization to fight off the man and put your life in danger. It’ll be okay._

“What’s your mask?” Kageyama asks. Inuoka waggles his eyebrows.

“Wanna see it?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Shouyou says without any hesitation, jumping up to crows behind Inuoka as he pulls it out of a secret compartment in his luggage. It’s… “What’ is that?”

Inuoka rubs the back of his head. “I was hoping it would be a dog, but it’s an ant.”

“Why?”

“Well, I have a somatic ability that gives me overall inhuman strength,” Inuoka says. “So, ant. Or at least, that’s what Nekomata said when the mask become this shape. He also said it has something to do with me being less of a leader and more of a follower, like how ants follow their queens.”

“Wow, I wonder what mine’s going to be!” Shouyou says in wonderment. The PM may be scary, but this mask thing sounds pretty awesome. “What about everyone else?”

“You’ll see the rest of them tonight,” Inuoka waggles his eyebrows again to heighten the mood of mystery. Shouyou likes Inuoka because he just _gets_ him. Like eyebrow waggling isn’t always mysterious, but in this moment, Shouyou knows _exactly_ why Inuoka would do that. It’s a lot easier being around them than Kageyama, because while the two have an intrinsic understanding of each other, it’s not a social understanding, but a physical one. Shouyou can react to Kageyama’s cues, but when the two talk, – _BOOM!_ –it’s like an explosion of anger sometimes.

“Anyway,” Inuoka continues, “Tonight you’ll be getting your uniforms and masks, and then you’ll be an official member. Speaking of which, I need to change into mine.”

He pulls more clothing out of the secret compartment and lays them down. Shouyou thinks it looks like a tight onesie, since it has the feet attached. It zips up the back and ends in a turtleneck. Over the top of the bodysuit, Inouka puts on some type of armor that clasps to a utility belt that has filled pockets. The last part of his uniform is the mask. He puts it over his head, and attaches the part that covers the back of his head to the turtleneck of the bodysuit and then pulls the front over his face. Shouyou can’t even see his eyes, since they’re covered by screened, bulbous versions of an ant’s. He puts his hands on his hips looking for something before he pulls on combat boots and fingered gloves. He’s covered from head to toe and looks pretty rad.

“That’s so cool!” Shouyou says, “You look like a secret agent!”

Inuoka laughs. “I kinda am one! But not for the government!”

“So, like an anti-agent?” Kageyama asks.

Shouyou grins. “That sounds even cooler!”

“Well, I gotta go help set up for the ceremony. I’ll come get you when it’s time!” Inuoka says, “You should rest though. The masks take out a lot of energy when they take their form.”

Inuoka leaves the room with a wave. Shouyou turns to Kageyama. “What do you think’s going to happen to Asahi.”

Kageyama shrugs. “I don’t know. Nishinoya has him in a state of stasis right now, and I think Yaku is working on fixing his energy. Apparently, he’s really messed up from drugs that keep his mark running all the time.”

“It’s so scary what happened to him. And to Nishinoya, too,” Shouyou shudders. “Who would’ve thought that place was so close? I hope neither of us get sent there.”

Kageyama closes his lips tightly before opening his mouth. “I almost was, after middle school.”

Shock flashes through Shouyou. He’d known _something_ had happened to Kageyama. “What?”

“After what happened,” (Shouyou wishes he could say that he doesn’t _know_ what happened), “my team and I were sent on trial, trying to find who was guilty, who wasn’t, things like that. They ended it in a mistrial because the jury couldn’t decide on who should be punished.”

“Kageyama, _what_ happened?”

Kageyama sighs and looks away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I understand,” Shouyou says quickly, though he’s _dying to know_. “Don’t worry about it!”

“I’ll…” Kageyama pauses and then looks at him through his eyelashes before quickly averting his eyes again. There’s a slight hue of pink on his cheeks. Shouyou thinks being flustered suits him. “I’ll probably tell you one day. I’m just not ready yet.”

“It’s okay, Kageyama,” Shouyou tells him gently. After everything that’s happened, he doesn’t even think what happened is important. Kageyama looks appreciative of Shouyou’s response. Shouyou wants him to trust him, but he also understands that sometimes these things are hard. All in all, Shouyou hasn’t had too hard of a life, other than never having a marked teacher. He’s behind the learning curve in mark usage, but he’s never been tortured like Noya and Asahi or put on trial like Kageyama or lost a sibling like Tsukishima. The only other person in their year who seems to have it easy is Yamaguchi, but even _he’s_ probably had something in his past that’s scarred him.

Shouyou wonders what will hurt him in the future, rip him up to match his teammates and friends.

* * *

Keishin checks the time on his pocket watch again. _It’s getting close to their deadline._ He touches the shape of the “that’s easy” button outline in the pouch on his side as his fingers itch for a cigarette. He wishes he could smoke in his mask. It’d make everything easier. He’d told Takeda that they didn’t need him tonight and that he should go home early. Keishin is still trying to juggle keeping Takeda safe and in the dark while switching the PM headquarters to Karasuno temporarily.

Maybe he should come clean. Maybe Takeda will understand.

_He won’t_ , says the voice that sounds like his grandfather’s, _nomarks will never understand us. They can’t._

_Takeda won’t betray me,_ he thinks, but he doesn’t feel it in his bones like he wishes he could. It’s hard dealing with this.

_Fuck, I need a cig._

Footsteps sound through the alley and Keishin turns to see Iwaizumi and his roommate, Oikawa, come forward towards him. Oikawa looks flighty, but determined. Iwaizumi seems resigned. _Good, they’re accepting their fate._

“You came,” he says, nodding to them. Oikawa still seems put off by his appearance. He laughs, taking out the button. Addressing the brunet, he says, “Get used to it, kid. You’re gonna be in one of these suits soon enough.”

“I would _never_ wear such a fashion tragedy,” Oikawa sniffs, but steps forward. “What’s this for?”

“It’s our ticket to the meeting,” Keishin explains.

“We didn’t use it last time,” Iwaizumi says. “Why now?”

“Our base has been… compromised,” Keishin says. “We’re going somewhere different, and teleporting like this is safer than walking there.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes widen. “Compromised?” Keishin can hear the unspoken question: _Does that mean they know I was there?_

“It means my shop has been bugged. We’ve cleared it out since then, but it’s safer to change locations than wait for them to catch us and send us to jail, or for you guys, the Institution,” Keishin holds out his free hand. “Take mine and then hold each other’s. Tightly, if you don’t want to be ripped apart in the Nether.”

Iwaizumi grabs his hand and Oikawa latches on to his friend with both of his. Keishin presses down the button. They vanish with the sound of “that…” and reappear in the common room of Karasuno with a resounding “-s easy.”

“Where are we?” Iwaizumi asks. Keishin shrugs.

“Better for you not to know for now. This is only a temporary location.”

“Is this them?” Suga asks, coming around the corner and into the room. He looks them over before sticking out a hand. “Hi, I’m Sugawara Koushi. I’m the vice-captain of the Karasuno Battle Unit.”

“Kid, you weren’t supposed to tell them,” Keishin interjects with a sigh. Suga doesn’t look remorseful at all.

“Sorry,” he says without meaning it. “Anyway, we’re also joining today.”

“Oh, I don’t know if Iwa-chan and I are _joining_ ,” Oikawa says.

“Really?” Suga asks, sounding wary. “Why not?”

“Why would we?”

“Look, we have things to do. Suga, you should already be downstairs,” Keishin raises his eyebrows. Suga stares at him and doesn’t move. Keishin sighs again. “Okay, I guess we can all walk down together.” He gestures for the three to follow him. He takes them to the back hallway where all the rooms are and opens the door that is normally locked. It takes them down to the unused basement beneath this wing of the school. There are lights at the bottom.

“Creepy,” Oikawa says as they walk downstairs. The stairs even out into the basement, where the Peacemongers are standing along the walls, masks and gear in place. In the center of the room, the new initiates sit, waiting for instruction. “Um, Iwa-chan this is a cult. You almost joined a cult.”

“This is way more cultish than when I was last here,” Iwaizumi defends himself. “We battled and then they tried to indoctrinate me.”

“Indoctrination’s a bit strong,” Keishin says as he hears the telltale chuckle of Tanaka from behind him. He looks and sees Ennoshita jab his elbow into Tanaka’s side. “You asked us what we stood for and we told you. Now, you three go and sit in the center with everyone else.”

Suga walks over and sits next to Sawamura but Oikawa and Iwaizumi don’t follow. Keishin points to the center, but before he can say anything, Iwaizumi interjects. “We’re not joining tonight. We told you that earlier.”

“And I told you that you don’t have much of a choice,” Keishin says. “You can watch the proceedings and then make your decision. For now, sit with the others.”

Saeko, in a polar bear mask, steps forward to recite the course of the meeting. Usually, their meetings were much more relaxed, but with the recent events and the initiation, they’d decided to put on a serious façade. “We’ll start today with a status update, so everyone is aware both of what’s happening far away and what’s been happening in our own backyards. First, as well all know there’s military rule in Tokyo. The media has made it clear that there is a curfew, however, the curfew only applies to marked people. One of our own has gone out past curfew, Fox, please step forward.”

Kuroo slinks away from the wall. “The UOME attacks whomever they can find that’s marked out on the streets with assault weapons and specialized weapons made to target marked people. I went out and almost didn’t make it back after being attacked by two agents. They didn’t care that I’m only seventeen.”

“Why are you here if you’re from Tokyo?” Oikawa interjects from the middle of the circle.

“This isn’t question and answer time,” Kuroo snarks, causing Oikawa to make an affronted expression. “Anyway, as I was saying. The military rule sucks and it’s unfair. There were tons of unmarked people out and about, but they specifically target people with marks. That’s not right, no matter how you look at it.”

Saeko continues. “There are reports that talks are underway to allow nomarks to arm themselves with weapons to “counterattack” violent marked individuals. We theorize that their motivation for this is to not only increase tensions between marked and unmarked, but to allow sleeper agents to infiltrate marked spaces and schools through extension. Who’s going to say an operative from the UOME struck down someone who’s marked if no one can tell the difference between them and a normal person?”

There are murmurs of assent throughout the room. She continues. “In addition to this, some of our branches have been unresponsive throughout the country, signaling that they’ve either been caught and arrested or have been forced to cut off communication to prevent themselves from being found. This branch is one of the few that’s still operating, but we don’t know for how long. Our previous base has been compromised, which means our time to operate and help people is running out. Now, we’re moving on to what’s been happening domestically. Skunk?”

Keishin steps forward. “As you know, our leader’s health has been going for a while now, which is why he’s not here and why Saeko and I are taking charge,” he surveys the room before continuing. “I guess I’ll start this story from the beginning so that everyone understands what happened. Seven months ago, the Karasuno Battle Unit was in a match against Datekou that ended poorly, with one of our members losing control of his mark. This caused him to attack his own team, making Karasuno lose. Afterwards, he stopped battling. Another member confronted him and during the confrontation, knocked into the vice principle of the school. That member went on trial for undue violence and was sentenced to six months in the Institution, only to be released recently. The other member went completely off the grid, his whereabouts unknown.”

He waits for the story to settle around the room before raising his voice again. “Until yesterday, when the member who was recently released and a few others set out to find him. This is what they found.” There’s the sound of growling and banging as Asahi, trapped within a barrier of energy crafted by both Yaku and Noya, is moved to the center of the room. Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s faces are pale. Karasuno looks stoic.

“He was captured by the UOME and drugged with medication that keeps his mark activated. He was used to train the SSF and test out other imprisoned kids to study their marks and experiment on them. All of the details of what he went through is unknown due to his condition, however that which we know was provided to us by the member who was released.”

He turns to the group in the center. “As you are all aware, the Institution was created by the UOME to harbor marked kids who were seen as juvenile delinquents, to rehabilitate them and keep people safe from them. That is only a façade for the true inner workings which enslave marked teenagers and children for experimentation and brainwashing that turns them into soldiers against their own kind. The SSF is real. The people who bugged our previous base were members of the SSF, their abilities confirmed by the person who knows them. While we don’t know _who_ they are, we know that they’re out there, which means we are _all_ in danger. Remember, one wrong step as a marked person, and this,” he points to Asahi who’s trying to break out of the cage, “is your fate.”

Saeko turns to Oikawa and Iwaizumi. “What do you two have to say? Will you join us, or will you stay sheep following a butcher instead of a shepherd?”

 “And you’re supposed to be the shepherd?” Oikawa asks.

“Whatever we are, we won’t slaughter you,” she responds. Oikawa shuts his mouth and holds his lips in a thin, tight line. Keishin can see the gears turning in his head. From the way he’s glancing at Asahi and around the room, Keishin can tell that they’ve got him. And he can gander that if they’ve got Oikawa, they’ve got Iwaizumi as well. It seems as if everything Iwaizumi does is for him, anyway.

“We will now start the initiation,” Keishin says. “Taking a mask shows your decision. Once you’ve received it, put it on. It will absorb power from your mark and assume a new shape.”

Shimada comes forward with a box of masks. “Line up and receive it.”

Sawamura stands and goes to him first, taking the mask and putting it on. He jolts as the energy is sucked out of his body and into the face of the mask. It rematerializes into the shape of a ram, complete with the curved horns next to his face. The rest of Karasuno lines up behind them: Suga, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Hinata, and then Kageyama. Oikawa and Iwaizumi lock eyes before both stand and take their place in line. Oikawa looks at Kageyama curiously and the boy seems to shy away from him, but no other interaction takes place. One by one they receive their masks, which then change into something new and unique: bear, tiger, horse, mouse, panther, lion, and dog.

Keishin looks at them as the new recruits stand there, masks paired with civilian clothes, and wishes there were another way than including teenagers, children, in this battle. But still, he believes that they’re safer here.

He looks at them all, standing side by side, stoically facing him. He crosses his arms.

“Welcome to the Peacemongers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I stg I won’t wait seven-eight months for the next update. I’m going to try to be more motivated to write, but I am in college and I am working to try and pay for things (my textbooks this semester cost over 600$, for an example) so there is some struggle there. 
> 
> If you would like to treat me to a coffee, here’s the link to my ko-fi account [(x)](https://ko-fi.com/brokuroo) I would really, really, really appreciate the support but obviously you shouldn’t feel any pressure to do it! I’m still going to be writing this story!

**Author's Note:**

> follow me at: brokuroo.tumblr.com for updates on read my mark as well as the other fics that i write! 
> 
> follow the story on tumblr at: https://www.tumblr.com/search/rmmisiy


End file.
